Princess of the Thieves
by lali2148
Summary: Starfire has been known to be the innocent little alien that was always figured out, but no one knew much about her past. It was rarely talked about, but what happens when her past comes back in seek of her help?Full sumary inside RobStarOC Triangle
1. Chapter 1 The Past

**Summary:**

Starfire has been known to be the innocent little alien that was always figured out, but no one knew much about her past. It was rarely talked about, but no one budged because everyone in the tower doesn't talk about their past either. But what happens when her past comes back into her life seeking for her help, and it get worse when the titans find out what she used to be and still is, Princess of the Thieves. Will she help her old family that took her in when she in need of love and raised her? Or will she reject the people that she grew to call family and taught her everything that she knows? And what will titans think of their little alien friend once being in a type of mob?

**Princess of the Thieves**

**Chapter 1: The past, would you understand?**

**By: Princess Lali of Spain and England**

The past of some people is just distant memories. Things that were once there but now gone. Things that most people want to hold dear or things that some people want to forget. The past can be precious yet haunting. But the past is what holds our future and the present is what comes from the past. So what happens when it comes back to haunt you, is an explanation yet to be told within itself.

Starfire was sleeping peacefully and innocently, as some people seem to think of her. Innocent as a newborn child, but how can anyone say this if they don't know the truth hidden within her past?

Her dreams were mostly always full of the wonderful things done that day. Most of them were of her and Robin. She had a specific feeling for him, but she wasn't sure if that was it. Perhaps the feeling was mutual among earthlings, but on her planet she knew the feeling very well. For she has had it before, the feeling was love.

But tonight instead of her dreams being full of pleasant one's they were of something else. They were not bad dreams so they were not nightmares, but they were not good either. They were confusing one's. They were images of her past. The past that she had long forgotten. The side of her that was never to be told. She couldn't sleep and she didn't want to see the images anymore so she shot out of her bed.

"Perhaps I should go to the roof. That always made me feel better." She said out loud to her self.

In the room next to the one below hers the same feeling was over coming our fellow leader. He was confused with his dreams as well, for they all centered a certain someone. She was always there, the one to understand him, the one never to be angry with him, the one to always keep him smiling. The girl was all he could think about lately. He got the feeling when he first met her, but he just thought of it as a crush. The kind that you get when you see a pretty girl. But, these two years that he had know her, the feeling has grown stronger. More that just a crush. The feeling that he was well…feeling, was a lot more and he knew it. He just didn't want to admit it. He was sent on denial. But even if he was, the feeling was still there, the feeling of, love. Her bright crimson hair and those emeralds, jade eyes were all he would see. Starfire.

He couldn't sleep. He needed some fresh air. He needed to get his mind off of her. So he got up and walked to the only place where he thought he could really think. The roof.

Starfire sat at the edge of the roof, thinking. Thinking of her present, future, but was ticking at her mind was her past. She remembered all of it as if it was just yesterday. The crimes she had committed, the skills that she had learned, the people the she grew to call family, the fun she had, the parties she went to, the boy that made her fell at home, and what they used to call her. "Princess of the thieves"

'No. I must not think of that, of them, of him.' She thought. Why was this bothering her lately? It had not before, so why now, why all of a sudden?

"Why won't it go away!" She said madly out loud to her self. Apparently someone heard her and was surprised.

"Star?" She heard a voice come from behind and turned around embarrassed to see him.

"Robin? What are you doing up here? And late at this hour?"

He walked closer, and cursed himself for thinking that this would take his mind off of her.

"I'd ask you the same question." He responded quickly.

"Oh…well I couldn't sleep, so I came up here to-"

"Think." He finished for her, for he was having the same problem.

"Yes! How did you know? Can you read minds like Raven?" She said surprised that he knew. He chuckled softly at her naive ness.

"No Star, I'm having the same problems."

"Oh…"

"So why couldn't you sleep?" He asked trying to think of something to talk about knowing she was never one to be quiet.

"Well, some things about my past."

"We don't know much about your past, is there something that's bugging you about it?"

"Yes there is, but I do not wish to tell you. Not now at least." Robin was confused, Starfire was always open with him, why all of sudden she hides?

"Why not Star?"

"It is…complicated." She thought of the correct words to use.

" That's okay I'm sure I'll understand."

"No, I'm afraid if you know, then you will think differently of me, and I don't want that."

He had already taken a seat next to her and at hearing this he was concerned and put a gloved hand on her shoulder.

"Starfire, I would never think differently of you."

She sighed and bit her lip as if nervous of something. Her feet dangling over the roof and only the stars and moon out to light their faces, he thought of cute she looked when she bit her lip.

"Robin, have you ever had an event in your life, in your past, and you feel awkward talking about it and a bit sad at the thought of it?"

Robin thought about this, of course he did, he had never told anyone except Bruce, his old mentor, about his past. It was too hard to tell, and he felt like crying every time it crossed his mind. Did she have the same feeling?

"Sure, I do."

"Then would you understand why I do not feel like telling you would be good idea?" She asked in a whisper looking up at the stars.

He wasn't sure if they both had the same problem, but now she had him hooked, she gave him a sample of the pie, now he wants the whole thing. He looked at her gazing up at the stars as if searching for something.

"I would, but maybe if you told me I could help." He replied.

"Robin, If you knew something bad about a person, no matter who it was, would you still think of them the same way?" She asked, looking back at his mask.

He was surprised at what she had said but he knew that if he wanted her to tell him, he would have to tell her what she wanted to hear.

"Of course I would. The past is something that is called the past because it is behind them." He said. But she knew him well, he wouldn't really care.

"But Robin then you wouldn't be keeping to justice." She said with a little bit a disappointment in her voice. He dropped his face a little, his lips forming an upside "U", also know as frowning.

"Yea, I guess your right."

"So you would take them down even if they were very close to you and forget about all the good that they did during the present?" She said quite bitterly.

'What does she want me to say?' he thought.

"Well, what do you want me to say Star? I'm caught between the two lines here!" He yelled, not loud, but loud enough to tell Starfire that he wouldn't understand. She directed her gaze back at the stars above.

"Nothing Robin, nothing." He was about to say something else, but decided to let it go. He wasn't going to get anything out of her. At least not tonight.

"The balls of burning gas that emit radiant energy are quite lovely aren't they, Robin?"

He smiled at her intellect of the simple word "stars"

"Yea, they sure are." He replied but he wasn't looking at them, and he wasn't talking about them, because the only "star" that he was admiring at the moment was the beautiful redhead sitting next to him.

They both scooted next to each other for warmth and then she did the unthinkable by leaning her head on his shoulder and nook of his neck. He didn't see it coming at fist but then as if on impulse he laid his arm securely around her shoulder. They both smiled at each other's touch, especially Robin feeling her light breath on his neck, and half of her body leaning against him, and looked over at the 'balls of burning gas that emit radiant energy'. Both happy, both cozy, both having their worries of her past lift slowly out of their minds as they both fell asleep leaning on each other, with his head on top of hers, not to be awoken till the sun rise out of the hills over the beautifully lit Jump City.


	2. Chapter 2 Too Much

Chapter 2: I am not Jealous

The two teens were sleeping soundly until the sun crept into a sunrise and as much as they wanted to ignore it, they couldn't the light was just too strong. Robin was the first to wake up and smiled down at the girl sleeping soundly leaning against him.

She was so beautiful when the light shone on her face.

'On a scale from 1-10 she was 11, no hundred!' He thought. Then something made his face lean closer to her. Something inside of him wanted to kiss her but then again, Robin did have self-control, he wouldn't let his hormones lead him into that. Would he?

Before he knew what he was doing his lips were just centimeters away from hers, but then, (writer sighs) she stirred and began to wake up, at the feel of her moving he retracted away from her and accidentally made her fall back onto him and her elbow hit the surface with an "Ow!" She opened her eyes to feel herself being supported by something underneath her, so she opened her eyes to feel the sides of her holder, totally forgetting that she feel asleep on Robin last night. Then she felt tight pants and flew up very much blushing, and very much embarrassed.

"Oh, my god! I am so sorry! I didn't know it was you!" She begin saying but then began thinking that maybe she should help him up.

She held out a hand and he eagerly accepted it.

"It's okay Star, it was my fault." Truth is that he liked her feeling down the sides of his legs. 'What am I thinking! I am such a PERVERT! Thinking like that!'

"No it is not Robin, I am truly sorry!" She kept apologizing, thinking he must think she's some kind of slut.

"Starfire, I said it is fine, nothing really happened, in fact, I think you're the one that got slightly hurt not me." He smiled and she let it go.

"Okay." She thought back on the night and then remembered that they had fallen asleep.

"Robin, did we fall asleep?"

"Yea, I guess we did." He chuckled softly.

"Oh…Perhaps we should go down stairs to consume our breakfast with our friends?"

"It's a bit early Star, maybe we should just get ready first."

"Oh, okay." He began to walk towards the roof door that led to the inside of the tower, until he noticed that she wasn't following.

"Star, you comin'?" He asked.

She looked back at him and grinned.

"Not yet, I still want to think about something." She reassured him. He looked at her thinking he should stay, but she probably wanted to be alone.

"Okay, well later I'll start breakfast if you want to help." He said.

"Perhaps I will join you when I am finished thinking…about something." She said saying the last two parts as if she was unsure of something.

He shrugged, and then walked back inside.

Starfire stayed up there. Gazing at the sunrise, at it's beauty. Then her mind wandered back to her images of her past. She hit her head with her hand gently; mad at herself for thinking of it.

"It is in the past Starfire! Stop thinking about it!" She commanded herself out loud.

Robin had stayed just behind the door and made it creek a little to hear her. He knew it was wrong, but he knew something was wrong with her. Something that she didn't want to talk about yesterday, and when a usual open person is quiet, it means something, and him having a teacher as the greatest detective, would have to figure out what it was.

She slumped to her knees and looked hurt. Robin wanted to take action but he knew that would give his cover, so he stayed behind the door listening intently.

She closed her eyes and winced when another image showed up in her mind of her running away from somewhere.

"They were my family, how could I just leave them." She whispered to herself. She began to cry and held her head in her hands. Then her instincts told her someone was watching. She developed this sense when she was with them, and that just made it worse remembering.

She growled at her self and decided maybe being up here was a bad idea, on a count that she had come up here in the first place to feel better, but it just got worse.

She picked her self up and then she knew who was watching her. Without turning around she gasped and hoped that he hadn't heard what she had said.

"Robin, you can come out now, there is no use in hiding. I know you're behind the door."

Robin froze in place; he was caught, but how? He followed all the rules of sneaking no sound except the light huff of his breath. How the hell did she know? Unless she was some kind of expert. Was she? He thought of excuses but came up with none. He didn't step out, and she was forced to open the door to reveal him.

She opened it gently, and he could see her red teary eyes.

"Why are you as you call 'dropping of the ease'?" She asked her eyes narrowing.

"I…um…well…you see…" He stammered but again, nothing useful came out. Then curiosity took over and he asked her a question back.

"How did you know I was there? I used all the rules there is no possible way you could have known! Even Raven couldn't sense me when I casually over hear her conversation with Beast-" He shut his mouth knowing he had already given away to much. 'So much for easy recovery' he thought.

"You did not use all the rules. I felt your eyes on me. One of the rules of sneaking is to keep your eyes silent, your ears don't make a sound but the unevenness of your breathing and your eyes full of emotion is easily sensed Robin. You are defiantly no James Bond. And as for 'casually' sneaking up on Raven and Beastboy, is not very nice." She said with a sly smile, and emphasizing the word casually. Robin had never heard her speak like this. And using sarcastic remarks about him and comparing him to a character, is defiantly not her. 'Probably Raven's doing.' he thought. But what really stood out is how she knew so much and sounded so wisely about the sneaking rules, which he thought were only known by Batman and him.

He straightened himself out and locked eyes with her, smiling a smile to match her own.

"How do you know so much about sneaking, Star?" He cocked his eyebrow, and she knew she had let too much out.

"That is not any of your concern." She said while walking down by him to make her way down stairs into her room.

He ran after her and jumped in front of her. He shook a hand in front of her face as if mockingly and said,

"Nah-uh-uh you're not getting away that easy. Explain yourself." He was in a playful fighting stance and she smiled a playful smile.

"Are you challenging me James Bond?" She said before she giggled a little.

"Ha ha ha…very funny, so you caught me once off guard, it won't happen again. Come on Starry, show me what you got." He said while leading her into the training room. She simply shrugged. "Fine, you asked for it." She said. They stood their waiting for one of them to make a move.

"Well then go on then." Robin said.

"Oh, I never take the first move Robin."

He smiled. "But you forget, I don't either."

She tilted her head, but didn't give in.

"I guess your going to stand there the whole day, because I am not moving until you make your move." She said letting her arms down.

Robin was surprised. These two years she's been here she had really changed. Same personality, but her wording has improved for the better.

"Your stubborn you know that." He said.

She giggled a little and took interest in her nails.

" So I've been told, never believed it though." She said.

He saw a chance to make his move because of her distraction. He ran up to her to kick her but she knew what was coming and she front flipped causing Robin to crash against the wall. 'That's a first' he thought.

She just laughed at the site.

"You think that was funny?" He said while taking his bo-staff.

"Oh, yes I do. Do it again!" She said while clapping her hands and jumping up and down.

"I think not. But I'd like to see you do it." He said. They both began to circle each other.

"I believe it is my turn now?" She asked innocently.

"I believe so."

"Okay, but first I must ask you do you share?" She said while getting into a strange position.

"Not really." He said while looking at how she was positioning herself.

Then she began twirling herself in a type a ballet form into Robin. He was confused.

"This isn't dancing Star." He said not noticing what she was really doing. Then before he could defend himself she lifted her leg and knocked his staff out of his hands.

She dodged an attack by him while taking another ballet position and gracefully but quickly picked up his staff that was on the floor and moved herself back out of harms way.

"I know it isn't Robin, but it might as well be."

"Why?"

"Because this is the way I battle." He took out his grappling hook and shot out into the ceiling. She devised a mischievous plan and a smile crawled on her lips. He came down feet first to make impact to her chest, but he never made it to her instead once again he made it to the wall.

She laughed again.

"Once again you have made contact with your love, the wall."

"How is it that you keep doing that?" He asked.

"Keep doing what?" Trying to keep on the subject without her knowing he had taken out another grappling hook he kept talking.

"You act like you're distracted one minute and the next you know exactly what I'm doing."

"Oh…well I must warn you before you tie me up in that nice grappling hook you have there, I fight differently from normal people." She said with a smile.

He was shocked and confused but a little too late; luckily the string made its way across her body and tied her up in it before she could block it.

He held on to the other end and felt victorious but then he felt himself get pulled.

Then he looked back at her with these eyes. They were irresistible. He was full of lust when he saw them. Staring back at him with a sexy smile across her lips, as if inviting him to walk towards her. He let her pull, lead him to her until they were only inches apart, her face never leaving it's expression, neither his. Then she began moving her hips in a pattern and looked as if she was hypnotizing him with her motions and stare. He wanted to feel her right there. He wanted to kiss her, hold her, self-control was no longer in effect for poor Robin, but before he could close the gap between their lips, she swung her foot around and knocked him to the wall, again. He snapped out of his dreamy state, and retraced everything that just happened. She walked towards him with his bo-staff twirling in her fingers. Then she threw it in the air caught it a slid over to the confused boy wonder. She held the metal stick to his neck and smiled.

"I warned you. Now you lost." She said pinning him to the wall.

He was impressed. He had never taught her these moves, and these movements aren't alien. Where did she learn this?

"Star, where did you learn those tricks and moves?" He asked his face scrunched up for questioning.

"Um…uh…" She didn't know what to say, she couldn't tell him the truth, but she could never lie to him. She handed him back his staff and moved back.

"Star, those moves aren't from your home planet are they? There from here."

"No, they are not from my home planet." She whispered.

"Then tell me, you're keeping something from me. All of a sudden you know so much about the art of sneaking and all those moves, that I have never done and so I never taught you."

"I can not answer that at the moment."

Robin wouldn't let it go, she was acting strangely, and he had to know why.

"Does it have something to do with your past." He questioned, remembering what she had said up on the roof.

She winced thinking about it and began to walk out of the room.

"Please Robin, not now, perhaps another day I will have the courage to tell you about my past and the other things, but right now I just cannot." She said sadly as she went through the doors and disappeared behind them.

Robin was confused, but then he touched his lips,

'_I almost kissed her. You idiot! You have to be in more control!'_ He scowled at himself looking at a mirror. But then he remembered it was just a trick.

'_Where did she learn how to do that? She's not one to use her body sexually in fighting. She should respect her body. But it is good technique. It got me after all._' He kept pondering.

'_No. It's wrong. I have to tell her that. She has to respect her body and never again use it to hypnotize a man.' _He kept thinking, and began to walk out of the training room and took a route to Starfire's room.

-------------------------------------------------Starfire------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starfire made it to her room and fell back onto her bed.

She knew that wouldn't be the end of it for Robin the detective. He would keep questioning and she couldn't just not keep answering.

She knew that it would happen one day. The day she would let a little too much out. A little too much out, about her past, which will bring the questions.

'_How can I be so stupid!_' she thought.

'_I can't just let that happen again. Those tricks and moves, people can't know where I learned them from.' _She kept thinking. Then she stopped the smart thinking and thought of something else.

'_I hope he doesn't think I am some kind of slut o something. I was so close to him. Really close.' _

"ARRGGHH!" She growled at herself for letting that slip.Then she got up and walked to the shower and get ready for the day ahead. And oh boy did she have a big day ahead of her, but she was stopped at the sound of someone knocking at her door.

"Star, you here?" A voice asked from behind her door.

She knew who it was and put a robe on, because she was just about to get into the shower.

She opened the door and there stood Robin, looking a little determined of something.

"Starfire, I need to talk to you." He said not noticing that she had a bathrobe on.

"Um…Robin can this wait, I am in the middle of-" She began but was stopped.

"It won't take long. I just need to consult you on a few things." He said _still_ not noticing that she was in a robe.

"Um…of course Robin please, um…come in." She gestured to her bed and they he took a seat next to her. For the first time he noticed how incredibly soft her bed was.

"What is it that needs consulting Robin?" She asked a little worried, hoping it had nothing to do with what happened in the training room.

"It has to do with what happened back at the training room." He stated, _still _not noticing.

Starfire sighed, she was hoping and praying this wouldn't be what he wanted to talk about, but somehow, she knew.

"Look, I'm glad that you knew all those amazing moves, but something's troubling me about a particular one." He said, not even taking a glance at her.

"Which one Robin, I did quite a few." She said, hoping this time her prayers would be answered and he wouldn't say the one with the closeness.

Um…well…you know. The one with you and your um…" Robin knew he had to tell her but up until now he didn't know how.

"Yes, Robin? ME and my what?" She asked a little insulted, for what reason she did not know.

"You see Star, I don't want you going off and well…using you body for battling. It's not right. You have to respect it, and the way you did it back there just seems like something I really don't want to see in the mere future, with you and some bad guys." He tried sounding as calm as possible, but then he she moved a little away from him, and he noticed she seemed a little sad. But that wasn't all he noticed, finally he saw that the only thing separating them was a thin line of cotton. She got up walked to her dresser face down, ashamed of something.

"I am sorry Robin, I did mean to, if I would have known that no one likes my body, I should perhaps go to the mall of shopping to get a different uniform. I am truly ashamed of myself. But you have to believe me I did not mean anything by that. It was merely a trick I had learned somewhere, from someone."

She got a little teary eyed. She did not expect him to say he liked her or anything, but he surely did not expect him to say that he didn't like her figure.

He blushed a light pink at seeing at hearing her say that, and seeing her like this. Then he felt a bit ashamed at what he had said. And when she said she would get a new uniform, he made a note to slap himself afterwards. He loved her figure, he really did. He loved her revealing uniform, although he never said it, and it wasn't too revealing,

'I mean any one with a body like that deserves to show itself. With her short skirt, and small top, that showed her golden skinned mid-riff,' He thought. He even wondered sometimes how he kept himself under control. With two girls under the same roof, one with a leotard, the other with a bra like top, who would have control. (He doesn't like Raven physically, he's just comparing himself with what other guys, would never have control over.)

"No, Star, I didn't mean it like that, don't get a new uniform, I love your uniform, it's perfect for you. And I didn't mean that your body is bad, actually I think you look very se-…good very good." He couldn't believe that he almost said she looked sexy. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling pretty uncomfortable.

"So what did you mean?" She asked.

"I, mean that I don't…I just don't want you to do that move again with a bad guy." He said simply.

"Oh, but it is all right when I do it with you? Honestly Robin you act as if you own me and could control what ever I can and cannot do with my body. I don't mean anything by it; the move is simply a very advanced move to hypnotize your opponent. Although it only works with boys that like girls, I believe it worked on you, unless, you are…well, what earth people call 'gay'. You are not correct?" She asked looking at him suspiciously. Robin's eyes went big, at the question of him being gay.

"I am defiantly not gay!" He said a little loudly. She motioned for him to sit down.

"Well then, it worked. So your matter of being here to lecture me on why not to do it, did not pay off, because you are what I called very skilled and for one as yourself to fall into the trap, then it could most defiantly work on any man of lower value. If I am correct I would say that you are clichy about me using my body with other men." She said while smiling, acting like she knows it all, and she surely did.

Robin just starred at her for a few seconds and then finally came up with something to say.

"What does clichy mean?" He asked.

"It is when you feel a bit uncomfortable, or angry, or unhappy, about the thought of a women doing something with another man and not you." She said as a fact. Turning around into the bathroom to get the water running.

"You mean…jealous?" He asked, looking at her lean over her sink to see herself in the mirror.

"Yes, I believe that is what you call it here on Earth." Her voice echoed through the bathroom as she said it without looking at him.

Robin gave a growl and stood up.

"I am NOT jealous. I'm just looking out for you. You don't know what men in the city could do to you." He said a bit angry, while she began pushing him out the door.

"Okay, Robin. You _are_ the leader. Now I-" she finally got him to the door, but his feet were ahead of him trying to stop himself from giving in to her push, but with her strength it was easy.

He raised his finger to state something,

"Really Star! I AM NOT JEALOUS!" He yelled, from outside her room. She giggled a little at his outburst.

"Yes, so I have heard, now as I was saying, I have to take a shower, and you as well. See you in the kitchen to make breakfast." She said the last few words while closing her door.

He fumed with anger. He trudged all the way to his bathroom, saying the same thing over and over again.

"I am not jealous. I am not jealous. I am not jealous. I am not jealous."

But the truth was, as we all know, he was most defiantly clichy.

-----------------------------------------------------End of Chapter-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay so theres the second chappie!


	3. Chapter 3 Symbol

Chapter 3:Aplogy and the Symbol

After both of our favorite titans finished getting ready they both walked into the common room to see that the rest of them were already there.

Well Robin walked in first, and started breakfast, Starfire walked in second and joined him.

"You two got here late. It's almost eleven thirty." Said Cyborg.

Both Starfire ad Robin glanced at each other and grinned.

"Well we woke up earlier but then decided to get some rest again." He half lied, knowing that Starfire would never lie, so he had to try and explain.

They all just shrugged and went back to their daily activities, which consisted of Raven either meditating, or reading, and Cyborg beating Beastboy at video games. Robin and Starfire were making toast with eggs, and of course the veggie meal for Beastboy.

Then Starfire asked what the eggs were made of, and Robin was there to explain, but when she found out, she freaked out.

"Babies!" She screamed. Robin tried calming her down, but she was starting to act like Beastboy when it came to food.

"Yea, but they were never born so it doesn't matter Star, it's okay!" He said while waving his hands in front of her.

"Not even born! What kind of cruel act is this!" She kept yelling and now Beastboy jumped in.

"YEA! Tell him Starfire!" He cheered her on.

"Would **_you_** like to be created and then just used for the appetizing of someone's stomach, without even given the chance to take your first breath?" She asked angry with him now.

"No Star, you see, they're um…" He looked for the correct word, but truth is he didn't really experiment with eggs.

"Exactly dude! Don't you feel sorry now, eating a whole bunch of baby chicks, and they don't even get to…um…whatever Starfire said!" Beastboy said, then turned into a chick.

Starfire picked him up and shoved the little green chick into Robin's face.

"This is what you are killing Robin!" She said while still holding chick Beastboy.

Robin looked nervous; he didn't want to make her any madder.

"Um…so what do you want me to do Star?" He asked.

She pulled Beastboy away, and held up an egg.

"Say sorry!" She said.

Cyborg overheard and was about to burst with laughter, Beastboy was proud that '_someone_' was finally taking a stand with him.

Robin picked the egg out of her hands and was a little uncomfortable, that he had to speak to an egg.

"Um…Sorry." He said in a whisper, more to her, Starfire, than the egg.

"Ha! You see Cyborg, someone else thinks that I'm right!" Beastboy yelled.

Cyborg was on the floor dieing of laughter, and Raven pitied the sight in front of her.

Two people fighting for a dead egg, one of them saying sorry to the egg, and another rolling on the floor finding the whole thing hilarious.

She rolled her eyes and tried to go back to her book.

Then before you knew it Beastboy and Cyborg were at it bickering about if what was better, tofu, or meat.

Robin and Starfire trying to solve the problem. Then Starfire suggested going to Pizza Palace.

"Perhaps it is a better place to eat?" She asked.

Robin nodded and Cyborg and Beastboy rushed to the T-Car, while running, they were already fighting.

"Dude, we are sooo not getting an all meat pizza!"

"Well, were not getting anything with your nasty tofu!"

"Hey! My tofu's more healthier than your nasty full of fat meat."

"Well that explains it!" Cyborg said.

"Explains what?" Beastboy asked confused.

"Explains, why you're a stick."

They continued there fighting until Raven showed up in the garage and gave them both a death glare that sent them both to silence.

Robin and Starfire came into the garage and climbed into the car.

Cyborg was a course in the driver seat, Raven sitting shotgun, and the others in the back, with Robin on his R-Cycle.

* * *

When they got to the restaurant they grabbed their normal table and discussed what they were going to eat.

"An all veggie pizza." Beastboy said.

"OH no, we are having actual food. An all meat pizza" Cyborg protested.

"What! Dude my tofu is so real food. It's your meat that's bad." He fought back.

"We are not having some tofu on my pizza. We are having pepperoni and that's final.

"No we aren't. Those are poor little piggies you're slaughtering every minute for your taste buds to be happy. You think that's fair Tin Man?" Beastboy shouted.

"Well when you put it that way…. I don't CARE!"

As the argument continued Starfire looked over to Robin which was sitting next to her and said,

"Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all."

Robin glanced over at the two arguing boys and back at his secret crush.

"Yea…maybe not. Hey guys I think we should just get to ordering!" Robin suggested trying to calm the fighting.

"NO! Not until we agree that meat is what's going on the pizza!" Cyborg shouted.

"No way dude! Tofu all the way!" Beastboy yelled.

"Well this isn't new" Raven muttered.

Robin tried again to calm everyone down, acting his job as the leader. Starfire intended also but something stopped her.

She sensed something. Something familiar, something familiar was coming. This didn't go unnoticed by Robin and Raven was feeling something too.

Robin glanced at Starfire and saw that she was staring at the sky, as if looking for something, but when Robin looked up he saw nothing. Starfire glanced over at Raven and saw that she was staring off into the same thing.

"Friend Raven, do you sense it too?" Starfire asked the goth.

Robin was confused but worried.

"What is it Starfire?" He asked wanting to join the conversation.

"Starfire, I'm not sure were sensing the same thing, but I sense something." Raven said sill looking out into the clouds.

"Is it familiar to you Raven?" Starfire asked, to see if perhaps they were sensing the same thing.

"Raven what is going on?" Robin asked again, irritated that Starfire didn't answer him.

"No, it's not familiar to me but it's trouble." Raven responded, totally ignoring her leaders question.

"Starfire tell me what's going on." He said a little angry. Starfire looked over to Robin.

"I am not sure, but I sense something. Something coming, and Raven says that's it's-"

The communicators began to blink and Robin finished for her.

"Trouble"

Cyborg and Beastboy dropped their fight and started to whine.

"But we haven't even eaten yet! How are we suppose to fight if we have no food to generate or muscles!" Cyborg said.

"Yeah!" Beastboy also whined.

Robin had already hopped on his R-Cycle, and Raven got into the shotgun seat in the T-Car.

"Come one Team. We have time to complain later. Right now we have to find out who's behind this."

Cyborg gave up and jumped into the T-Car. Beastboy took off flying with Starfire.

When they got to crime scene they began to look around. It was in an old abandoned warehouse.

"So who's the master mind this time?" Beastboy asked.

"Who do you think? Who's the only one who would take old abandoned warehouses and turn them into their lair?" Raven asked, knowing who it probably was that was behind it.

"So what are you trying to say?" Beastboy asked still clueless as of what she said.

"It's probably Slade smart one. That's what she trying to say." Cyborg answered.

"We're not sure yet. It could be someone else." Robin said expecting anything, but he knew it was probably Slade.

Starfire still had the feeling and was keeping quite.

"It's doesn't look like's anyone's here. So can we go now!" Beastboy said, quite hungry and wanting to go home.

They all looked at him with angry faces, until they heard something. Or more so someone.

"Oh. Come on Titans you aren't leaving now are you?" A dark sinister voice echoed through the darkness, and they all knew already that their calculations were correct.

"Slade! Come out and show yourself!" Robin said, hatred dripping in every word.

Starfire lit up the darker part of the warehouse a little lighter to see where Slade was with a starbolt.

"But Robin," Slade started, "I'm not here to fight."

Robin, didn't believe him he stood his ground in a fighting stance. Cyborg transformed his arm into a sonic cannon, Beastboy turned into a wolf, and Raven was getting her black magic ready.

Starfire didn't seem ready to battle, for some reason, she believed him.

She let down her starbolt and waited for him to make the first move.

"Spilt up! Find him!" Robin ordered, and they went their separate ways, except for Cyborg and Beastboy, they went together.

"What is that you wish to do then Slade?" Starfire asked quite furiously.

Slade still didn't come out, but he heard the anger in her voice and chuckled menacingly.

Robin didn't take it anymore and charged at where he heard his voice. His bo-staff hit a wall, and nothing more.

"Robin, please, I really rather not fight, I'm here to do something else." Slade said again.

Robin growled.

"Come out!" He shouted.

* * *

Raven and the others were still looking for Slade, but found nothing.

Starfire went on her own, walking closer to the voice, but acting calm. Just as she was taught.

Then she heard something behind her. But she didn't turn. She kept walking. She heard the footsteps come closer and then when she thought he was close enough, she turned and gave a high kick.

Slade caught her foot in his grasp and Starfire gasped. He threw her to the side, and she came back up quickly.

Slade was quite impressed but he didn't show it.

"Please, I am asking nicely, for you to surrender." She said timidly but somehow made it seem brave.

"Now Starfire, if you were in my shoes, would you surrender without a decent fight?" Slade said.

Starfire stood stiff.

"I would NEVER be in your shoes, and you said, you didn't want to fight!" She stated as in a fact. She then threw some starbolts, which he dodged with ease.

"You know, dear child, lying won't solve anything?" Slade said smirking behind his mask.

Starfire's starbolt faded quickly as she came down and gave Slade another quick in the air while falling.

Slade grabbed her again, but she learns things quickly and knowing he was going to do that, she pulled up and punched him the face. Slade wasn't expecting this and staggered back. Starfire used this to her advantage and gave him a few more punches with a blur of starbolts. Slade tried to dodge them but she managed to take him hard and he was hit forcefully.

"I don't lie!" Starfire screamed angry.

"But you are. Aren't you princess" He said calmly.

"As a princess I was never in your shoes!" She responded.

"I didn't mean royally. I was quite impressed when I found out, what you are. (Yea, I'm gonna take something from the episode "Birthmark") It's always the innocent one's isn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said with her head down a bit.

"You see your lying again. You're a thief Starfire. You and always-" Before he could finish she charged at him with a numerous punches and kicks that could put anyone in the hospital with severe injury.

* * *

The other titans heard the ruckus and ran to where the noise was coming from.

Robin was the first to show up to see Starfire punch and kick the life out of Slade.

Slade jumped out of the way from the last of Starfire's kicks. He quickly took something out of his back armor packet belt. (Yea, like when he took out his steel staff, he had to take out of somewhere, so that's were his pocket is)

Starfire and Robin were ready for anything, but surprisingly he didn't take out anything dangerous. Or so they thought.

"I have a message for your precious Starfire."

Starfire gritted her teeth, but did nothing else.

Robin stood in his battle stance, and then, before the others came crashing into the area, Slade threw something at Starfire.

Robin didn't notice because he had charged at Slade with his staff, and in the other hand a couple of bird-a-rangs.

Starfire's quick reflexes allowed for her to catch the thing that Slade threw at hand. The other titans rushed in to see a confused Starfire, and an angry Robin, but no Slade. Before Robin could even touch him, he somehow disappeared.

Starfire saw that the thing was an envelope, and turned it over. Her eyes went wide when she saw a symbol on it and she quickly hid it from the others.

"So where'd he go?" Cyborg asked.

Robin grunted. "He got away."

Beastboy just shrugged. Robin told them all to head back home, probably to find a lead on Slade. Raven sensed that someone was having a mix of emotions. She could feel anger from Robin, careless from Beastboy, worried from Cyborg, but something new was on Starfire. Raven was feeling a lot of overpowered emotions from her. A lot of fear, and anxiety, thrown in with surprise and awareness.

Raven would have to ask her about it when they got to the tower.

When they reached their home, Robin went straight to his room, the boys went to the kitchen to eat, and Starfire quietly exited to her room as well. Almost unnoticeable.

Almost.

Raven saw it, and caught up with Starfire.

* * *

Starfire reached her room and dared to take out the envelope again.

The symbol on it. She knew it well. She thought, for sure that it was in her past. But, then Slade had to bring it back. He knew. And now she was left with the envelope, which meant they knew. They knew where she was.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. She quickly pulled her pillow over the envelope to hide it.

"Come in" She said acting like everything was fine. When it surely was not.

"What's wrong Starfire?" Raven asked fast to get on with it.

"Nothing is wrong. Honestly." Starfire said

"Starfire I could feel all those feelings that you were going through back at the warehouse after our fight with Slade. And those feelings were pretty strong. Something is wrong. Tell me Starfire."

Starfire sighed deeply. She couldn't lie.

'_I will do the '_bending_' as they say of the truth'_ she thought.

"It is nothing really. Slade just brought up something from my past, and then I got scared and worried that Robin would lock himself in his room again to find a lead on Slade." Starfire said. It was the truth. Partly.

Raven knew the way that Starfire felt for Robin. So that was nothing new. She could believe it. For she had the same for Beastboy.

Raven was a little unsure about the part where she said, Slade bringing up something from her past. But she shrugged it off.

At least she cared.

"Okay Starfire." Raven said, before she exited the room to start some more herbal tea and read.

Starfire sighed with relief and when she was sure Raven was gone, she took out the envelope again.

The symbol was specially made for her. And she knew it.

It had two letters that where curved with royal likeness and golden bordered with red in the back round. A "P" overlapping a "T".

It was a circular sticker that sealed the envelope, but it still meant a lot.

She opened it carefully. They knew, was what was going through her mind.

She read it carefully.

_Dear Princess of the Thieves,_

_Yes Kori, we know where you are. We know what you do also. _

_That should be enough of a sign to know what we're going to do. _

_Look, we need your help. _

_You're the princess of thieves. Don't fight it. Although you will anyway. (_Starfire laughed at that part)

_Sincerely, _

_The Royal Thieves_

_P.S. We miss you Kor._

Starfire gasped. She knew what they meant. They're coming. They're coming to get her. But they said that they miss her. Truthly inside she missed them too. They were her family. Maybe not by blood. But still family. And she missed them, now she is going to have a chance to see them again. But she wasn't quite sure she wanted to. She was afraid. Her past was coming back into her life, no matter how much she did want to fight it.

* * *

Okay...So there's the third chapter, sorry it's taking so long to update but the same thing with the other story i'm writing, i get grounded. So let me try to be a bad girl and i'll try not get grounded so often. Again sorry for the inconveince.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, and preten i wrote a whole hundered times, thank you, for your reviews! You keep me writing and give me what i need for the next chapter!

Thanks!

Please, i know although i've read this over, i always leave my grammar errors somewhere without knowing, so please point them out or help me if you think i'm doing something wrong.

Love your one-n-only,

Princess Lali of both Spain and England


	4. Chapter 4 Dreams

Chapter 4

Starfire put the envelope neatly on her dresser. She couldn't think straight. All she saw was flashbacks of her past. A series of events flying past her like a movie. She was tired. Her head throbbing with to many thoughts. She decided to take a nap. Something to calm her mind. She trudged over to her circular bed and collapsed on it. She closed her heavy eyelids, and drifted into a dream. Only it wasn't a dream it was a flashback.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_A girl with dark crimson hair was doing a series of flips and kicks between bright red lines, as if it was a type of obstacle course. And at the end was a beautifully cut sharp diamond, probably worth millions. Most likely a lot of wok put into it. But she didn't care. She was full of lust for it. Desire. Not for the money. Simply because she wanted it. She didn't care if it was cheap or expensive. It was her job. _

The girl's hair was put in a high ponytail, she was wearing a black suit that curved with her movement and matched the ribbon placed in her hair, with high heeled boots that were also black, tight black pants with a set of daggers on each side, and an "X" forming top that showed the sides of her stomach and was short sleeved.

She began to dance in rhythmic motion to avoid touching the red laser beams. She succeeded, took the beautiful piece of art and placed it in a small bag. Then replaced the diamond with a fake one.

_The girl then quickly jumped up into an open spot by the ceiling and flung herself up._

_She then neatly and gracefully exited the scene without anyone even knowing she was in and she had done it all in 3 minutes, no more than that._

_As she walked upon the roof she sighed. She sensed someone behind her and quickly knew who it was._

"_For how long do you plan on trying to scare me?" She asked._

_She heard a small chuckle and then turned around to come face to face with a handsome boy her age. _

"_Until I succeed." He said. She shook her head in pity._

"_Well you shall continue doing that for until you die because I am NOT getting scared." She said stubbornly. _

_He chuckled again. _

"_I do not find anything amusing. Why are you laughing?" She asked. _

"_Your stubbornness is cute. That is what I find amusing." He stated as if a matter fact. _

_The girl gave a 'humth' and jumped off the roof._

_The boy took a deep sigh in annoyance. But then smirked a playful smile._

_He took off after her. _

_They both had the gift of flying and he chased her. _

_They did in fact have the ability to fly, but it did not mean they used this all the while, of their game of cat and mouse. _

_They were both very experienced and talented at jumping roofs and swinging from anything that they could reach. _

_Running side building by side building. One more experienced than the other. For that is why she was placed on the rank of princess of the thieves. _

_She had been doing this for a while, anyone who took one glance at her skills, could tell._

_They went and gamed like his for a while until the boy suggested they go home to deliver the diamond. _

* * *

_Other Flashback:_

_The flashing lights and pounding music filtered the club throughout the area. The red head girl was now in low-cut jeans and a black spaghetti strap tan-top. _

_She was swinging her hips softly to the beat of the music, but she didn't look like she was enjoying it. She seemed bored. A shadow crept up behind her. She didn't see it, and before she knew it the shadow figure pounced on its prey. She shrieked in fear, but no one took notice. _

_The figure began to laugh loudly._

_She turned to find the same boy who tried to scare her before._

"_Why you little glorbeishkin!" She yelled at him. But he just kept laughing away. _

"_What is so humorous? I do not find this funny at all." She said with her nose in the air. He kept hollering with laughter. _

"_Aww, come on you know you love me." He said in a flirty, playful, kind of way. _

"_Yes, just as much as I love the swap moons of Dreanthax IV" She said sarcastically. _

"_No that was uncalled for Kor" he said, seeming a bit insulted, in a non-serious way._

"_Well, the truth as they say here on earth is quite painful." She said with a smirk._

_The boy pretended to be mad and tried to scowl at her, but at last he found that he couldn't._

"_You really are a royal pain you know that?" He said. _

"_I try to be," she said with a casual voice. _

"_You having fun?" He asked although knowing the answer._

"_Not really. These things are just to crowded."_

_He nodded in understanding. _

_After a while of just pounding music pushing at their ears. Their instincts gave way, and the beat got to them._

_Without knowing, they were both dancing. Her back pressed up against his front and his hands put possessively on her hips. They were moving to the music in and experienced way. As the music turned into a more professional their moves begin to alter. To change to the way they were both taught._

_Soon enough they were the center of attention and people begin to circle them in awe of what was happening. _

_Their dancing was like no other. Intertwined with each other, as if born to dance with only each other. _

_She faced him now and both were making quick paces with their feet, in a pattern._

_They looked away from each other now cheek to cheek and then back into each other's eyes. _

_He lent her back and ran a hand down her neck to the middle of her chest. Her head was thrown back and he propped her back up. His hand was right on her lower back, and the other gripping tightly to her hand. She with one hand on his shoulder and the other placed in his hand._

_They fit perfectly. Molded in with each other's body. He twirled her around at let her fall back but he caught her before she could touch the black neon floor._

_The movements that they were both making made them touch almost every sector of their bodies. _

_But they didn't seem to care. It was the way of dancing. Dirty dancing. _

_The song ended shortly after, but seemed for it to be hours._

_The spectators around them clapped and cheered as he bowed. _

_She did also, not wanting for him to take all the credit. _

_The D.J. then came up on the microphone._

"_This is for all our lovely couples out there." His voice boomed through the speakers and was soon replaced by a slow moving song. _

_It was a foam party so there was an area in the club that was full of suds. _

_The room soon enough filled with young couples and bubbles gracefully floated down from the bubble maker fans on the ceiling. _

_On bubble landed and popped on the girls nose and she giggled._

"_That was quite an event was it not?" She asked referring to their exotic tango._

"_Yea it was." He said as he held out his hand. She was bewildered by this movement but didn't hesitate to take it. _

_He pulled her to him and she as if on instinct locked her arms around is neck, and he did the same to her petite waist. _

_They swayed softly to the gentle music. He came close to her ear._

"_So you having fun now?" He whispered._

_More bubbles danced around them and the room went blue instead of flashing lights of neon colors. _

_She nodded._

"_Yes. I believe I am. Thank you." She replied with a smile. _

"_Your welcome" He smiled back and they continued their dancing. _

* * *

_Another one:_

_The girl with red hair was doing again another series of ballet movements and spins to avoid touching the moving lasers. _

_But she wasn't alone. _

_The boy was with her. _

_This course was much longer than the other one but it didn't mean they couldn't break it. At the end was again another treasure. But this one was no jewel or diamond. It was a priceless gem. _

_The pair came together quite close and begin moving in a waltz across the room as if the red burning lasers were never there. _

_When they reached the end she grabbed it quickly and they both pulled them selves into another opening in the ceiling they had made earlier. _

_They climbed up onto the roof, and she took a close look at her prize. Well not necessarily hers per say. But still, she felt like she had earned the least bit of glance, as all thieves do._

"_Come on. Tina said to quickly take the gem and go." He said rushing her as they leaped from rooftop to rooftop. _

"_That's strange, why do she want us to hurry?" The girl asked. _

"_Something about, us not being the only ones after it." He said. He didn't take things seriously, and she knew that, but for some reason that's what he was doing now, and she wanted answers._

"_Well, who ever it is, I'm sure we can take them." The girl said as she took the gem out of the bag again to examine it once more._

_Its beauty was beyond justifiable. _

_It really was priceless. _

"_It doesn't matter Kor, Tina's the boss, and she sounded pretty serious. I think we better keep a look out and get home, where it's safe." He stated._

_Tina wasn't one to underestimate their performance. So if she was worried, they were probably dealing with someone, of much power. This got Kori scared. _

_(Okay, you know what I'm probably confusing a lot of people by calling the girl "girl" so let me just call her by the name that was alredy said. Okay? Kori)_

_The boy saw the fear, in her eyes. _

"_Don't worry Kor, I'll protect you. I promise." He said with a sly smile. _

_If Kori was scared, all sign of it was gone. Replaced with the look of bravery and determination._

"_I don't need protecting. I can protect my self." She added. _

_He rolled his eyes. _

"_Always have to be so stubborn, Kor?" He asked. _

_She gave an irritated grunt and ran faster over the roofs. Her speed was better than his, but he could still catch up. _

_She leapt far to another roof on a building and landed as graceful as a cat. He did the same but almost lost his balance. _

_They kept going off, in a type of race, until he sensed something. He felt eyes on him. _

_He didn't stop running but he got her attention. He did this by slowing down; she caught on knowing he wouldn't give up so easy. _

_She paced down and they were now running side by side._

_She lifted one of brows in question. _

"_Someone's watching" He whispered, barely audible. _

_Her eyes went wide, as she began to feel them to. It was like a sixth sense to her. She was taught this along with her other skills._

_He took her hand signaling for them to fly, but before they could reach the air, something ripped through the air, and knocked the bag holding the gem out of her hands. _

_Kori gasped and they both looked around for the source of the eyes that they knew where there, and who just knocked the bag down._

"_Who is there?" She shouted, trying to sound brave. Clearly failing. _

_A figure stepped out of the shadows and they immediately knew who it was._

"_King Pin" They said in unison._

"_Ah! So you have heard of me." He said in his rich voice. _

_The pair were both terrified and disgusted of him at the same time._

_Of course they had heard of him. He had killed everyone and anyone who had got in his way, when he wanted something. Even a couple of their agents and thieves were killed by this monster of a human. _

_Kori saw the bag in his grasp, and she growled._

"_You dirty fat-" The young man started, but was cut off._

"_Oh, no let's not get feisty." The man said. _

_Kori eyed him, waiting for him to make a move. She never took the first move, always the opponent to go first._

"_I have heard all about you princess," He said trying to make things curious. They both stood their ground, Kori and the young man._

"_You're a legend you know. In fact some of my minions, were too afraid to come and fight you. Pity, they said so, because I killed them anyway. Princess of the Thieves. What a classic. The girl that knows every move, from every book, and can steal anything in 3 minutes flat, no more than that. With a suit of black, and swords of steel. I've seen your work Ms. Anders and am quite impressed. I've even thought of recruiting you. That is if you want the job of course." He continued._

"_I would never work for you!" She hissed in between gritted teeth._

"_Pity, I would have let you live." He said._

"_You will not hurt her!" The boy shouted._

"_Ah! And you must be the all faithful and loyal, Nicholas Edwards, correct?" _

"_Shut Up!" Nicholas shouted. _

_But the fat man continued with his knowledge. _

"_Partner in crime with the beautiful Kori Anders. Quite touching really. Your skills are almost an identical match to the princess's."_

"_We don't need a lecture on our lives Pin" Kori shouted, tired of hearing about her life and his life like as if it were an open book._

"_Oh. Pardon me. Let me just get down to business. I have to kill you. I really don't want to, such a shame to see such talent be wasted like that. Are you sure you don't want to work for me. You would get much better pay." He insisted._

"_Hell we would." The angry boy said. _

_King Pin just shook his head._

"_Then scratch that, I do want to kill you." He said with a sinister smile. _

_He lifted his gun and that was as good as a move can get, Kori took her turn. _

_She flipped up and was about to do an easy kick. She succeeded in doing so and knocked the pistol out of his hands, also knocking him onto the floor. She continued to punch him and do a couple of more kicks, at last she hit him in a spot she was sure would take him out for. He closed his eyes, and she assumed him unconscious. She gave a victorious smile, and was about to pick up the bag that held the gem, but out of no where, King Pin, opened his eyes, and took out another gun aimed directly at the turned around Kori, who was once again transfixed at the gems beauty._

_Nicholas only had so much to time to react. Kori felt something pointing at her ready to kill her but when she heard the bullet shot, the pop piercing through her ears, she felt nothing. _

_King Pin was stunned but took his chance to flee. Thinking he would finish this later. _

_Kori recapped, still not turned around. She was too scared to. She felt nothing, no pain, but she was still alive, which meant she didn't get shot. But the gun did go off. _

_Which means someone, had to be shot. _

_Tears began glazing her emerald eyes, and she still hadn't turned around yet. _

_She heard a soft moan of pain, and she twirled around to see a bleeding Nicholas on the floor. _

_She ran over to him and kneeled down beside him. _

_Tears already streaming down her cheeks. _

"_Why did you do that?" She whispered as she placed his head on her lap and put a gentle warm hand on his cheek. _

_He gave a weak smile._

"_I promised to protect you didn't I?" He stated. _

_She sobbed. _

"_We have to get you to the hospital. We have to get you help!" She said in rush trying to prop him up so she can lift him to a place where he could get some help. _

"_No! You know why we can't go to the hospital. And besides," He said. _

_She looked into his eyes. _

"_I feel fine right here." He whispered._

_Kori shook her head._

"_No,no,no. Nick, don't say that, you're going to get help, you're going to be fine, you're going to live." _

"_No, Kor, I'm not. I'm going to die." He said coughing up some blood in his mouth. _

_She began to try to maneuver him onto her so she can fly him to the medical wing at home. _

"_God damn it Kori! Stop!"_

_She did as she was told._

"_NO! You are going to be okay. I'm not going to let you die!" She shouted at him, angry at everything. Mad at the world. _

"_Your going to be okay…please, your going to be alright." She repeated in a whisper, tears pouring down onto him and the cement. _

"_Shh, it's okay, don't cry. It doesn't even hurt that much anymore. Honest. Please stop crying." He pleaded, not liking to see her beautiful face full of tears. _

"_But Nick. Please don't leave me." She pleaded as well._

"_I'll never leave you. I'll always be here. Protecting you, helping you. Even if I go down there I'll-" He began._

"_Don't say that! You are most certainly going to world heaven!" She said. _

_Nick felt his life slipping away. The light closing in on him._

_He left out a soft chuckle._

"You always were stubborn." He said. She gave a small smile.

"_I don't want you to go Nicholas." She said softly. _

"_I-I-…I love you Kori." He managed to blurt out. _

"_I love you too Nick" She said. _

_She came down to kiss his lips, and he did all with the little force he had to kiss back. _

_His mouth was full of blood, but she didn't care. She tasted the real him. The one that wasn't dieing at the very second. _

_They broke away and he muttered one last thing before he took his final breath and closed his eyes forever. _

"_Good-bye" _

_She cradled him in her arms, crying into his lifeless body. _

"_No. Please no." She whispered into the air. _

_She paused for a second. She felt eyes on her again. _

_But when she looked around, nothing was there. She was scared again. It was as if, without him anymore, all her shields went down, and she lost all courage and bravery. _

"_Please, leave me alone" She said to no one in particular. _

_She blinked and when she opened her eyes again, a man in a black suit with a mask that had pointy ears on the top stood in front of her. _

_She knew who he was. _

_He was a real legend not her. He was whom she should be truly afraid of. But she didn't care at the moment, all she focused on was the body that she holding that moment._

"_Please, leave me alone, sir." She said trying to be polite, as she was raised up to be. No matter what the circumstances. _

He stood there saying nothing, and when she blinked again he was gone. One of his many talents.

_She glanced at the no longer living Nicholas and she couldn't take it anymore. Her whole life had been of gaining and then of losing, gaining and then losing again. _

_She had enough. _

_She screamed._

Starfire popped out of her dream screaming and tears running down her face.

She opened her eyes fully and recognized her room. She was just dreaming. But it wasn't just a dream it was real. It happened, and the thought of it, of him, made her breakdown and start to sob into her blankets.

"Nicholas" She whispered.

* * *

Thank You for all da reviews I'm really happy for all da help!

Well here's da 4th chapter. Yes i know it sicks and is very boring, but what i tried to accomplish here is that you know more about Starfire's past!

K!

Well till next chapie!

Love your one-n-only

Princess Lali of both Spain and England


	5. Chapter 5 New Life

Hopefully this chappie will clear a few things up and leave a few mysteries. Okay so he;s the chapter you've all been waiting for.

Chapter 5: Another Chance at a New Life

Robin was in his room going over paper work on files from past crimes and criminals. As he does most of his nights, until he heard a high pitch scream. He knew that scream well.

"Starfire" he said to himself, right before he ran out of his room to see what caused Starfire to scream.

Starfire continued to sob into her blankets. She glanced at her clock, it flashed the numbers 12:30 over and over again. Until the 30 turned into 31.

She had been asleep for a long time.

'Why do I keep remembering' She thought.

But her thoughts were soon inturputed by her door swishing open and Robin standing there panting for breath.

"Whats…Wrong…" He asked still panting.

Starfire wondered why he was here. She wiped away her tears, and looked over to him.

"Robin…um…why are you here in my room. Nothing is wrong."

Robin looked at her with a 'What-are-you-talking-about' but she didn't see because it was dark.

Robin recollected himself, and stood up straight.

"I heard you scream." He explained.

Starfire gasped, and then remembered what happened.

"Oh, I am sorry I did not mean to wake you. Or burden you, I was having a- oh never mind. It's silly of me to be scared." She said, more to her self at the end.

Robin walked to her bed where she was now sitting up with her head down.

"It's okay, I wasn't asleep. And it's not silly to be scared, was it a nightmare?" He asked.

Starfire mentally slapped herself. She couldn't tell him a lie, but she couldn't tell him the truth.

'AARGGGHHH why does this have to be so hard!' She thought.

"Yes. I suppose you can say it is a mare of night." She said quietly.

"Well maybe I can help. What was it about?" He said wanting to help, and also wanting to find out some things about her.

"Well…It was just a bad dream, Robin, nothing to burden you with. I shall just forget about it. And-" She started but her door opening again cut her off.

The rest of the titans toppled in.

"Dude, it's like mid night. Why'd you wake me up I need my beauty-" But before he could finish he fell on Raven drooling, asleep.

"Get.Off.Me." She said, angry and disgusted that drool was getting on her cloak.

Beastboy kept on with his sleep and Raven was forced to throw him off of her. He landed with a 'CLUNK' to the floor of the bedroom, but he still didn't wake up.

"I am deeply sorry friends. I did not mean to wake you." She apologized.

"Well okay then. You're okay, we're okay. We can go-"

"To bed. Bye" Raven finished for Cyborg as she levitated out of Starfire's room to her own.

"Uh…yea what Raven said." Cyborg said while he picked up Beastboy off the floor.

"Night Star, Robin." Cyborg walked out of the room with a sleeping and drooling Beastboy.

"Perhaps it is best we all go to sleep." Starfire suggested, not wanting to talk about her nightmare to Robin, although she really wanted to.

Robin was feeling a little rejected and was taken aback,

She always wants to talk. She always wants him to listen. She why now, she didn't want to?

Maybe she's still mad at me, he thought. He really hoped she wasn't.

"Starfire, are you sure you're fine? I mean you can always talk to me, if something's bothering you." He said.

Starfire was on the verge of tears again.

She said nothing. But he continued.

"Is it about your past again?" He asked, wanting to pry it out of her.

Starfire looked wide-eyed at his question.

'He knows too much' She thought. 'But I have to tell the truth.'

"Yes." She whispered, the tears beginning to fall again, remembering her dream.

Robin didn't like seeing her like this.

He picked her chin up and looked into her teary eyes.

"Starfire, what's wrong? What was the dream about?" He questioned, wanting to know more.

Starfire looked away and stood up on her rugged floor.

"It was like a movie going on in my head, about an event that was not very good in my past. And it felt so real. But it was real and that's why I was crying." She explained, hoping that would be enough for him. But for Robin the detective, he needed more.

"What was the even like?" He asked.

Starfire bit her lip.

'Well that was a mistake.' She thought.

"Robin I'm feeling a bit fatigue so if I could I would like to sleep, so I can be energized for the morning." She tried making an excuse, but he could see right through it.

"Starfire something's wrong and you're not telling me. Why won't you let me know?" He said worried.

"Robin, sometimes you have to deal with your fears on your own. And in this case, I think I have to deal with it by myself." She told him.

Robin, understood a little, but he still wanted to know.

He knew what she meant, for he had a lot of nightmares of his own, and he didn't tell any body.

"Starfire, I know what you mean, but I just, want to help." Robin said.

"I know you do Robin. But I can handle it." She said. "I think."

Robin saw the look in her eyes, he didn't like it. She was afraid of something, and all he knew is that it had to do with her past.

But what could be so bad to happen to such an innocent little alien?

'Not much' He thought. But something was telling him that there was more to her than met the eye.

Robin stood up from his seat on her bed and began to walk to out the room.

He turned to give her a comforting smile, which she returned and said goodnight.

The door closed behind him and he then got an idea.

He just wanted to make she was okay.

So he pretended to be walking away by stomping his feet on the floor.

Starfire heard the footsteps begin to die down, and she thought he was gone. When she was sure the footsteps were gone, she broke down again.

She sank to the floor with her quilt wrapped around her.

The tears that where burning to unleash again fell with so much force that she was sure that if she didn't wipe some away a lake would form in her room.

She kept whispering the same thing over and over again.

"Nick. Nicholas."

Robin heard her and he wanted to comfort her but he again couldn't.

'Who's Nicholas?' Robin thought.

Starfire stopped crying, for she really was tired. So she climbed back in bed and tried her best to fall back asleep.

Robin decided to retreat to his room, for he was also a bit tired him self.

So he tiptoed quietly over to his room.

A few hours later, Starfire once again bolted out of her sleep. This dream continued the other one. As if when she woke up last time, it was put on pause, and now when she fell back asleep, it came back to play.

But this dream wasn't scary at all. It was just a normal flashback. A life changing one. She remembered this event in her life and she frowned sadly and a few more tears rolled down her cheek, but then it was replaced with a smile as she thought of the flashback at the end.

* * *

_Flashback Dream:_

_Kori ran and leaped over the rooftops. Not caring to know any direction. Letting her legs carry her. _

_She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care. _

_Nicholas was dead because of her mistake, and now she was running away from it. Away from it all._

_But she couldn't stand it. She hated everything. Who she was, what she does, what she did, where she lived, how she came to be the way she was. All of it. _

_She needed to run. She needed to get away. To cry, to think. She just couldn't stand being with that dead body anymore. _

_It was all her fault. Everything. _

_She didn't even know if it was the right thing to go back home, maybe they wouldn't except her, for making a mistake, and for it resulting in the death of Nick. But that's not what worried her. She was deeply sad. Tears kept coming, and she didn't know how to stop them, except how they just ran off her face with the cold night wind swiping them of, as she ran. _

_She finally jumped off a tall building and flew, flew far off into the middle of a bay. _

_There was a statue, the statue of a lady. The lady was green with a torch in one hand and a book in the other. _

_Kori knew this building well, for she had come here many times to think. Think about her life, her future, and her past. She had come up here to think of her new family, her friends, and foes, her crimes and sometimes, actually most of the time, Nick._

_The statue of liberty shone in all it's greatness and now Kori felt shameful to think on something so beautiful and great. _

_But she had no where else to turn. No where else to go. _

_She flew up to the top with the little power she had left. _

_She landed gracefully on the top and looked over to the city that lay in front of it. _

_Thousands of city lights glittered the area and the stars were much more clearer where she stood. _

_She stayed there for days, weeks. She was sure she was going to starve. But she didn't care. She didn't care about anything anymore. (Tameraneans in my fic can go a maximum of 3 weeks without food because of their 9 stomachs.)_

_She felt useless. _

_Disgusted with her self._

_Hating her self. _

_She cried for a few more times, until there were no more tears left. _

_The lights of the city were still on. Even at this hour._

_Which is why they call it the city that never sleeps. _

_She just gazed off into the lights. The shining dots that now swirled in her mind, getting lost in thought. _

_A thousand things rushed into her mind, but all of them always came to the same thing._

_Nicholas._

_She was snapped out of her thoughts and cries, when she knew someone was behind her or was watching. _

_But she didn't care._

_Nothing mattered now. _

_But she was forced to say something anyway._

"_Please, who ever is watching me, I beg for you to please leave me alone at the moment." _

_There was silence, but she still felt someone intently gazing at her. _

_She gave in deep sigh, thinking she was going crazy._

_But she still didn't turn around. _

_Her bag was still with her. She opened ad took out the shining, shimmering gem. _

_She glared at It. _

_What good did this do. _

_What good was this expensive gem?_

_All that cam from it was a loss._

_A death. And all because she made the mistake in getting lost in it's colors. _

_Although the gem only hold one general color, either way you turned it, a new sparkle of green lit up, and her eyes just couldn't keep them off. But that was how she was raised. _

_To be a thief, and thieves value their prizes. _

_She hated it. She didn't want to be this. But she didn't think she had any other choice. She was young when she chose to become one. And recently she had become who she is today, Princess of the Thieves. _

_She was grateful for the title. She liked it. Hell she loved it. But she wasn't sure if that was who she was._

_Her reflection shone off on the emerald. _

_She turned it to the sides and she caught a glimpse of something._

_She could've sworn she saw a man. _

_The same man wearing the suit. The man who was a legend, with his mask and emotionless face. _

_Her eyes went wide. Now she was in trouble._

_But what was he doing here?_

_This is New York._

_He doesn't fight evil here._

_Spider-Man and sometimes Super-Man do._

_But not him._

_He was,_

"_The Dark Knight." Kori whispered looking horrified. _

_She froze in place. She was no match for him. And especially in her condition. She would surely go to jail. _

_What could be worse on this day?_

_His cape came swayed with the wind behind him as so did her hair._

_He towered over her, intimidating her. Daring her to move. But she didn't. _

_She just stared at him. Searching for something, which could not be found. _

_He didn't move. But the silence needed to be broken, although words were yet to be formed. _

_Kori, felt like she needed to be brave. She needed to have courage. But she didn't have any. She took her stare away from him and focused it back to the city behind her. _

_She didn't know what to do. _

_But she had a need to be polite and felt like she needed to break the ice. _

"_Is there something I can assist you in Sir?" She asked, hoping he would just go. Although she really didn't want to be alone. _

_Still more silence. _

_She couldn't do this anymore. The silence was unbearable, especially when she was scared. _

_She began to shiver violently, as she put her feet on the border of the huge monument. _

_She looked down into the dark black waters of the ocean._

_Maybe if she dies, everyone would be safe. She wouldn't do any harm, and she would get the punishment she deserved._

"_Don't even think about doing that." He finally spoke._

_She winced at the harshness in his voice. She didn't even know him, but she felt ashamed to be scolded by him. _

"_Perhaps, it would be better for everybody. It was my fault he died." She whispered, but still turned around._

"_No. It wasn't your fault. It was King Pin's and you know it. Don't blame yourself."_

'_He just doesn't get it does he!' She thought._

"_He died, saving me. I shouldn't have assumed something and then let down my guard down." She explained, thinking maybe he didn't know what really happened and once he did just let her die, or kill her himself._

"_Was it you who had the finger on that trigger?" he asked._

"_No." _

"_Then it isn't your fault." He said again._

"_So you do not wish for me to get what I deserve and die? I believe that should be my punishment for causing the death of a friend." She said. _

"_No. You didn't cause this so you don't deserve it. I can help you." He said._

_The last part rang over and over again in her head._

_What was he saying?_

_She was a criminal, he was a hero. He, a good one at that. Why would he want to help her?_

_She didn't deserve it for all the crimes she had committed._

"_I don't deserve anyone's help. Especially a good person's." She said, sadness striking every word._

"_Don't you think that's the good person's to decide?" He asked turning the tables. He knew of her kindness right of the bat, so she wouldn't be rude and not try to displease someone. _

"_I guess you are correct. But why would you want to help me. Although I do not think you can." She said while climbing down the edge of the statue. _

"_You're special Koriand'r." He said using her full name._

"_H-How did you know my real name?" She said stunned and surprised._

"_I know lots of things, but first things first, If you want my help, you have quit being a thief, and start over. You can't see the Royal Thieves again either. Do you understand?" The Batman asked._

_Did this man even now what he was telling her? _

_How was this going to help?_

_Those people are her family. _

"_I-I-I can't do that. They're my family, and I have no where else to go." Kori said with her head down. _

"_Yes you can, and you'll find a new place. A better place, trust me. Just do as I say and you'll be just fine. Go to a city west from here. It's called Jump City. There's where you'll get more help. I can't help you from there." He continued._

_Kori eyes began to water. _

"_But, that would be going against the code. Against loyalty. And maybe I could if they were just normal people who gave me a place to live. But they raised me. They taught me so many things. They loved me. You say that I can just turn my back against them, and it is possible, but I, myself, just can't Sir." She said again, trying to make him see where she was coming from. _

_Batman did understand. He just didn't show it. It was like turning your back on family. And a family who's been nothing but nice to her and give love when she needed it the most._

"_I know, what you're saying, but you don't want this life, and I know you can do better. I have hope for you, and that should mean something, coming from me. I know your story. From your childhood to now. And I know why you're like this, but it doesn't mean you can continue stealing and committing crimes because it's what you were raised to do."_

"_What do you mean you know my childhood? You know nothing about me!" Kori was getting frustrated at this point now. He was acting like he knew. But no one knew except for 3 people. And one of them is dead. _

"_You don't think I know. Why don't I tell you then."_

"_I don't need a lecture on my life, but thank you for the concern." She said._

_But he ignored the comment._

"_You were born on planet Tamaran. You lived there for 5 years of your life, up until you and your sister, Komand'r, were kidnapped by the Psions, after they assassinated your parents. They (Psions) used you as and experiment and as a slave. You under went torture no one thought possible, and for 3 years. But you survived, and gained your power of starbolts." He paused for a few seconds._

_Kori winced at the thought of it. She hated thinking about, remembering all the pain, all the torture. She wished only to forget it and here he was reminding her._

"_Then you ran away. Escaped. You came to Earth with your sister. But after a while she left you. And you were all by yourself. You were a child, an orphan._

_The head leader of the Royal Thieves, Tina, found you. She took you in with the rest of her clan and she and the others raised you like their own. Tina was probably like a second mother to you, and the other kids, excluding Nicholas, most likely resembled the brothers and sisters you never had. But you can do better. You're not hurting anyone if you leave. But you are hurting your self if you stay." Batman explained._

_Kori took a while to think it over but he didn't let her a lot of time._

"_Choose wisely Princess Koriand'r because both choices will guide you either way and change your life entirely. Good or Bad. This is where I leave you. I helped you now you have to help yourself." Batman said as he turned around and looked as if he was about to jump of the Statue, but she stopped him. _

"_Wait! Why are you helping me? I have done bad things and you still have not took me to jail when you know very well that you can, you have showed me a new light and are giving me another chance. Why?" She asked wondering why he was being so kind to a criminal. _

_He turned his head._

"_Like I said before, you're special Kori. You just need someone to remind you. I know you can help the world instead of stealing. You have amazing powers and they can good use, you can be a hero. You can become a much better legend in being good than what you're known for right now. And, I also do this, just because it's my job. Oh. And Kori," He said as if she really was special. She smiled for the first time since Nicholas's death. _

"_Yes?" She asked._

"_This never happened." _

_She was a little confused as to what he meant, but she thought it meant not to tell anybody._

_He turned back around and again was about to jump down into his car that right now was a boat._

_But again something stopped him except it wasn't voice it was an action. _

_He felt something wrap around him from behind in a lung-crushing grip. _

_He dared to look down to see a red head hugging him. She smiled at him, and he couldn't really move. It had been years since he was hugged, purely. Yea, she would defiantly change something in the world._

"_Thank You." She whispered while she let go of him. _

_She didn't expect anything from him, but he didn't push her off did he? That must've meant something._

_He nodded to her and before anything else could happen he jumped into his motorcar._

_She kept smiling. She was truly grateful and happy. _

_She was getting another chance. _

_When she heard his motor and the propellers accelerate in the water, she giggled. _

_She was going to live. To start over. And what more can you do but laugh and smile up at the sky. _

_That was when she began to appreciate things for living and breathing, just because they could. _

_She dived down into the waters below but before she could hit her unbridled joy lifted her and she rose up above the clouds. _

_Now she was on a journey to the other side of the country in Jump City. _

_She was getting a new life. One with good values and positive things. _

_She was going to be good, not bad. She enjoyed being a bad girl for a while. But now, she would enjoy it even more as a hero. _

_Who knows perhaps the Dark Knight is right and she did have much more things ahead of her. _

_She glided over the clouds._

_She was not only grateful for her new life._

_She was happy._

_Genuinely happy.

* * *

_

Starfire got off of her bed and made her way outside. It was dark outside. But the stars and the moon would have to do as light.

She walked up the stairs and opened the roof door with a 'creak'.

She stepped out onto the concrete surface of the open roof. She simply adored before outside on the roof.

Heights were always a favor to her.

She walked to edge of the roof and looked on to the city. It wasn't as lighted and glittered with lights as New York City. But it would do for her. She always felt relaxed when she was up there. But most of the times, she was relaxed because she was there with a certain Boy Wonder.

Tonight he wasn't there, but she still felt relaxed with the cool breeze spiraling her hair wildly.

She smiled once more. She closed her eyes to hear the beautiful sounds of the waves crashing on the bay. Coming in and then retreating.

She then felt as though someone was behind her and she turned around to face Robin.

"What are you doing up at this time?" He asked curious as to why she wasn't asleep.

"Why aren't you?" She saved.

"I couldn't really sleep anyways and then I heard your foot steps so I guessed you were coming-"

"To the roof." She ended.

He gave her a quick smile.

"Yeah."

She giggled and turned back to the ocean.

Robin walked up beside her and leaned against the side of a wall.

"Beautiful is it not?" She asked him, without taking her eyes of the ocean and city.

He nodded.

"Yea. Sure is….Star…" He began, hoping he might get some answers from her nightmare episodes.

"Yes Robin."

"Why won't you tell me what really bothering you?" He asked.

She sighed. They had been in this loophole for two days already.

"Robin, we have been over this. I will tell you when I'm ready." She said looking away from her stare.

Robin shook his head. But before he could say anything else.

Starfire's eyes went wide.

Robin took notice and was immediately worried.

"Starfire, what's wrong?" He asked.

She looked almost frozen. But she still answered; with the only thing she could say.

"They're here."

Okay there was another chapter.

I wouldn't say I left at a cliffhanger or anything, because you should know by now when she say "They're here" you should know who she's talking about. If you don't well then you'll find out in the next chapter.

Yep this was pretty much the same thing as the last chapter. It was supposed to explain a few things. Hopefully clearing a few things up. Not all things. Because some things are still a mystery and answers to some questions won't come until the other chapters.

So please keep reviewing! I love the way you all like my story and want me to update.

Okay you know that guy in that black suit and mask in chapter 4. Well he's the same guy in this chapter, which is the one and only Batman. Yes he plays an important role in my story. So those Nicholas and Tina. The story basically starts in the next chapter. Slade is also involved, so yes he also plays a part. He's not only a messenger, he plays a bigger part.

Anyway…King Pin was the killer in my fic because I like to watch Spider-Man sometimes and he's like a big New York villain to both Spider-Man and Daredevil…I think, but yea…So also in case anyone was wondering Batman was in New York because Spider-Man needed some help and he came over because not only he wanted to help Spider-Man but because he had heard of Kori/Starfire, and when he found out her whole story he does what he does best and helps. Yea so he's a little nice in my fic. NO! Batman and Kori do NOT have ANY relationship! And never will! It was just a thank you gesture from Kori/Starfire.

Well, yea, if you have anymore questions about this chapter or any of the others I would be glad to answer them!

So keep on reviewing and thanks!

Later Days, until next chapter.

Love,

Your one-n-only

Princess Lali of both Spain and England.

P.S. I am continuing the other story for you others who are reading "Her powers were kept in a promise."

It's just taking a while


	6. Chapter 6 Tim the Thief

Chapter 6: They're Here

_Recap:_

_Starfire's eyes went wide. _

_Robin took notice and was immediately worried. _

"_Starfire, what's wrong?" He asked._

She looked almost frozen. But she still answered; with the only thing she could say.

"_They're here."_

Starfire new that they would come looking for her. She knew that they would come soon. But that didn't mean that she prepared to face them.

What was she going to do?

What could she do?

Her thoughts were intruded by a voice.

"Who's here?…Star?" Robin asked. But she didn't answer automatically.

If she wasn't ready to face them what made anyone think she was ready to tell Robin.

"Robin, please leave." Starfire commanded, her eyes regaining their normal size.

But Robin didn't move. He wasn't sure what was driving Starfire to act this way but he was going to get some answers and he was going to get them now.

"I'm sorry Star but I'm not leaving. Not until you tell me what's going on." He said.

Starfire was getting more nervous and afraid by the second.

"Robin, nothing is going on, now will you go." Starfire said, anger and impatience in every word.

Robin stood now but he didn't motion to leave.

"No. I know there's something your not telling me. Now what is going on." Robin said, now also getting angry and impatient.

She had to act fast. They were close, she knew that much. How close? That she would find out soon. But she didn't want Robin to know.

"Robin I will tell you in the morning. I feel a bit to tired to tell you now." She said while she faked a small yawn.

One of Robin's eye brows went up in confusion.

"Fine. Then I'll take you to your room." He offered.

Now she was in another loophole.

"No that is quite al right Robin. I'll be down in a few minutes." She said, hoping that he would just leave it alone and go.

"But I thought you said you were tired now." He fought.

This war was favoring on Robin's side and they both new it.

Her eyes turned from angry to pleading.

"Please Robin. I will tell you tomorrow, right now I have to take care of something." She pleaded.

Robin saw the softness in her eyes, and he was about to leave.

But they came to soon.

A pair of feet came into view, along with a set of eyes, and a voice.

"There you are." A masculine voice rang out.

She knew who that was, she knew who that was very well.

Robin didn't like what was happening and took out his bo-staff.

"We've been looking all over for you, Princess." The voice said again.

Starfire couldn't move. Not yet at least.

Robin glared at the figure that formed in the shadows; he kept thinking how this guy got through the security.

"Do you have any idea how worried Tina was? She wouldn't sleep for whole year, looking for you, making sure you were safe!" He yelled, his voice replaced with anger and worry.

Starfire looked at the ground ashamed of herself.

Robin was confused.

Who's Tina?

How does this guy know Starfire?

Who is this guy?

"Who are you!" Robin yelled, somehow knowing this guy was not going to et on Robin's good side.

"None of your business Bird Boy" The boy's response came.

Robin growled.

He twirled his staff getting ready to strike at any given moment.

Starfire knew where this was going and had to stop it.

"Timmy stop!" She shouted, using his child name.

He hated this name.

Timmy.

A child's name. She was the only one who called him that. And he hadn't been called by that name in 3 years.

He gritted his teeth.

"God Damn it Kori! It's Tim! TIM!" He roared.

Timothy was his actual name. But it was turned into Timmy. Then just plane Tim.

Robin had, had enough.

He just yelled at Starfire.

But then something stroke him.

Who's Kori?

Starfire?

"Starfire, you know this guy?" Robin asked.

Starfire looked to Robin and bit her lip.

"Um…I suppose." She whispered but both Robin and Tim heard.

Before Robin could say something in remark, Tim opened his mouth.

"SUPPOSE? Kori, don't give me that bullshit. You've known me for 9 freakin years! 7 of those years we lived under the same roof! I mean we fucking grew with each other! Don't say it like we met for a few minutes in a coffee shop!" Tim hollered.

But it was true.

She acted as if she just "knew" him as a face she recognized.

But she knew everything about him. And he the same with her.

Starfire gasped.

Robin's eyes widened a bit at hearing this.

So she did know him.

But it still didn't give him any real reason why not to bash his head in right on the spot.

Starfire saw the flash of hate in Robin's eyes, which were now concentrated on the shadowy figure still hidden in the darkness.

"Robin, no." She paused. "Timmy, come out." She then ordered.

He had only heard that name twice and, was already getting tired of it.

That name not only sounded childish, but signaled for the name of a little boy.

And he was no little boy.

Anyone could see that the second he stepped out into the moonlight.

Now it was Starfire's turn again to widen her eyes.

He was as gorgeous as gorgeous can get.

He still had his little boyish look to his features but that only made him cute.

The rest of his body had begged to differ.

He had defiantly doing some weight lifting since she had left.

His muscles were bigger on his upper arms, not big like Cyborg's, but bigger than Robin's that's for sure, you could tell he had a six pack through his dark blue suit, and his chest was broad with stamina.

Everything from the neck up was the same though. His hair still brown, gelled in the front forming a type of spiky wave, combed so it would go straight to the front.

Matching brown eyes, that held a mischievous yet caring glint, and that smirk that played across his face, which she had seen many times before.

The two features, endurance and cuteness, blended in perfectly to stand for the definition of "HOT!"

"Didn't recognize me did you?" He said, in a braggy tone.

All attraction that she had just had to him, quickly vanished.

It was just as Raven had said many times before. "Boys"

Robin saw him and felt his mouth agape.

(Just like it did when Starfire was going to get married and that red headed hottie came up.)

"Don't flatter yourself Timmy." Starfire said, which made Robin calm himself a little.

"So was that a yes?" Tim asked, quirking his eyebrows.

Starfire did something that Robin had never seen her do before.

Our little innocent alien rolled her eyes. (Yea, I just noticed that she had never done that before)

Tim noticed and chuckled.

"So, you've finally picked up on our earth ways?" He asked.

Robin was feeling left out in the conversation and was still very wary around Tim.

"What do you want." Robin asked a bit more calm, but still had his angry tone.

"Stay out of this." Tim spat.

'_Yep, I defiantly don't like him._' Robin thought.

"If it has to do with Starfire it has to do with me!" Robin yelled, he was determined to find out what exactly was going on.

But Starfire was, also determined not to let him get sucked into this.

"No, Robin."

When he heard her say his name and the word 'no' it sparked some sense, and he lowered his guard.

_Why is she so gritty about letting me know?_ Robin thought.

"Yeah listen to her!" Tim agreed.

But Starfire wasn't about to make Robin think she was siding with Timmy.

"Timmy," Starfire gave her warning.

But as always he never took it.

"Kori" He said mocking her tone in voice.

Robin watched as the eye contact between the two turned into frightful glares.

In a few moments her hands turned ablaze with emerald orbs, but Tim just wouldn't back down.

He kept his ground, and her enrage only made him the even more confident.

His smirk became even more apparent.

"Don't play with fire Timmy." She warned once again.

Robin had never seen this side of her.

Scratch that.

Yes he has.

That morning before they had their little fight in the training room.

She acted like _this._

Tim took out what seemed like a sword and played with it in his hands not caring to eye it, for they were only fixed on the tameranean princess he hadn't seen in almost three years.

In his eyes she had grown.

He more than her.

But he hadn't missed to notice how the more lovelier she looked.

Robin felt like he had to interrupt their quarrel, but he couldn't find his tongue to do it.

"Now will you come nicely or will we turn this in a fiasco?" Tim asked reading in flight position.

They stood for a few seconds and then Tim remembered something.

"Oh that's right, you never make the first move do you princess?" He asked.

Starfire stood still in her fighting stance; silence was all that came out from her.

Robin stood all the same. Unmoving. He wanted to. Oh how he wanted to, but something told him that this wasn't his battle to fight in, and so he just watched as the tension between the stranger and his team mate bloomed.

"Fine, since neither one of us don't like to make the first move why don't we both do it at the same time. Sound fair to you?" He was good at dealing.

She nodded and in a flash they both shot into the air facing the sky and the fight started.

Robin snapped out of his confushion and grabbed his communicator to call the other titans that were oblivious to what was happening up on their roof, sleeping.

"Titans Roof NOW!" Robin directed.

He could hear the sound of a grunt from Raven, snoring from Beastboy, and a yelling from Cyborg trying to wake Beastboy.

Robin snapped the communicator shut and stared up into the sky where there were two figures fighting.

Robin missed to notice all the young eyes also focused up in the clouds.

* * *

"What are you doing here!" Starfire said in between punches, which he blocked barely.

"Didn't you get our letter?" He asked throwing a swing at her but she flew higher and it missed.

She plunged down into him and snatched the sword from his hand.

"Once a thief, always a thief." He said while laughing. "But no bother, I always carry a spare." Tim said while he quickly pulled out another blade.

That statement only caused Starfire to fight more furiously.

She was no longer one.

She wasn't a thief.

And he needed to know his place.

At the end of his own sword.

She then thought of something.

"Kori, no matter who wins, you're gonna have to come with me." Tim said with a sly smile.

She knew somehow that he was going to say that so she returned the same smile and said the first thing that came to mind.

"You'll have to catch me first." She whispered.

She caught him off balance and flew the opposite direction so fast that she created non-aboriginal air currents in the wind.

He was quickly in tow with her and they were off playing a fast game of cat and mouse.

The rest of the titans were down back on the roof.

Robin feeling concerned for Starfire's safety, and the others confused at to what was happening.

"So…replay that again." Beastboy said not understanding like the others.

Robin gave out an irritated sound.

"I think Star needs our help." Robin said giving up on explaining what went down a few minutes ago.

Cyborg looked up and saw a pair of shapes moving violently, he noticed that they were evenly matched.

"Robin, I think Star has it covered." Cyborg stated.

Robin was about to lose the little bit of sanity that he had left.

What he saying that they should just let her fight and not help her!

"Cyborg are you saying we shouldn't help her!" Robin yelled enraged.

"No man, all I'm saying is that if she needs the help we'll give it to her. But for right now I think we should just let her take care of herself. She's a big girl you know." Cyborg said with a well known smirk that was always directed to the boy wonder when in reference to the alien girl.

"Don't give me that face Cyborg, she could be in trouble and we don't know it. We have to help her." Robin reasoned, for he also knew what Cyborg was referring to when he gave that annoying smile.

"What face! All I'm saying is that it looks like she can do it on her own! You don't have to get all directy(a/n: yeah I know it's not a word I checked but who cares right?) with me!" Cyborg yelled back, getting tired of Robin's denial.

Beastboy was then somehow, all of a sudden deep in the fight that was going on between Cyborg and Robin.

Of course he sided on Cyborg's side, which didn't go at all well with Robin.

"Come on Rob, we all know you're not just worried about her as a _teammate_. You know you like her." Beastboy added.

Robin was now blushing a dark crimson.

"NO! She's just a friend…that I'm worried about. Seriously guys, she could be hurt right now!" Robin bellowed to avoid the topic, trying to focus on the fight above.

But this did not stop Cyborg and Beastboy.

Raven saw to it that the fight from the beginning was pointless.

So she took the job on concentrating to the quarrel in the dark sky that in a couple of hours would turn light.

She was feeling a strange sensation that the two up above and the three fighting to her left, weren't the only one's that were up on the roof. She decided it was silly of her to think that and focused back on the fight between Starfire and Tim.

But when she blinked, they were gone. She heard a light 'zoom' of something, or someone, zipping through the air, and then nothing.

She turned to face the, still, yelling boys and interrupted them before Robin smashed both Beastboy and Cyborg's heads in. Because at the moment he dearly so wanted to.

" Hey, idiots," Raven started to get their attention.

All turned to face her.

"No that was uncalled for Raven." Beastboy commented.

Raven ignored it and continued. "Star and her friend are gone."

They stopped short and Robin took a glance at where Starfire and her 'friend' last were. And just as Raven had stated, they were gone.

Robin and the others felt a quick cold chill and then it was gone.

"Dude, where are they?" Beastboy asked, also noticing that there was something in the sky a few moments ago and now there wasn't.

Cyborg jabbed a few things on his arm and picked up something unusual.

"Guys, my sensors say something just caused the wind to suddenly pick up and then die down." Cyborg stated in a matter of fact.

Beastboy looked at him quizzically.

"So…" Beastboy said while waving his hand to continue in an easier way to understand.

Cyborg sighed and annoyed sigh.

"It means something just fell around 90mph or maybe more and didn't hit the water, making it very windy for a little while. Better for you?" Cyborg explained.

"Why didn't you say so? But why does it matter?" Beastboy asked.

Robin answered for Cyborg getting his drift.

"Because, it's not natural. And it might not be something, but someone."

They all felt a rumble coming from the city and a spurt of dust fly overhead.

"They're in the city. This could only end in one thing." Raven added. "Disaster."

They all once again directed their attention to the city and were about to leave and help their friend. But someone stopped them.

A little boy jumped out of the shadows, he was wearing what seemed to be some kind of 'spy' suit and seemed very determined on something. Showing no fear to the older super hero teens.

"You can't do that!" He shouted pointing a finger at them as if they we're disobeying some kind of rule.

All of sudden two more kids stepped out with him.

A girl and another boy.

They we're staring at the Titans with a look of disgust.

Cyborg was the first to react.

"What! HOW! I mean! SECURITY! How did you get past it!" Cyborg yelled at the children. His security was the top security in the state and he would be damned if some little kids could get past it so easily.

The girl next to the somewhat leader scoffed.

"Oh Pa-lease, you called the security! I got through it with ease." she said smirking.

Cyborg's mouth gaped open.

"Shut-up Mellisa you know Tim was the one who did it for us!" The boy next to her yelled.

The boy in front lifted his hand as if to silence them. But children will be children.

"You're such a suck up Bobby. Tim did this. Tim did that. Can't you ever take credit for yourself!" the girl named Mellisa fought back.

"Will both of you shut-up! This is not thieving appropriate!" The leader yelled.

"Yeah, like you should talk." Mellisa sarcastically mummered.

"Hey, Tim said that we should listen to Max." Bobby said to the girl.

She groaned in annoyance.

Robin narrowed his eyes.

"Your with Tim aren't you?" He asked eyeing the uniform that the kids were wearing.

Beastboy looked at Robin with a confused stare.

"Tim? Who's Tim?"

"Only one of the best thieves in the world." Bobby said.

"Oh would you just shut up already!" Mellisa moaned while slapping her face with her hand.

"Did it really take that long to figure it out wonder boy?" Max responded to Robin's question.

Robin scowled at the young boy.

He was already on his bad side.

There was defiantly more tension building, and the rest of the titans were afraid that if they didn't do something quick, Robin would pound on the little boy.

Beastboy put his hand up to stop whatever was about to happen between his leader and the boy.

"Who are you guys?" He asked still confused about the whole situation.

The boy once again gave a smirk.

"That's for us to know and for you to soon find out." He said while crossing his arms.

For the moment they all forgot about the chaos going on between the hero and the thief back in the city.

* * *

Okay there's chapter 6! 

I'm back home! YAY! I'm so happy! because now i can make my chapters longer and hopefully better.

Anyway.. this chaper was important because Timothy was entered into the mix. Or as Starfire say's "Timmy" He is important, as well as Slade and Tina.

Don't worry it will all be made clear shortly, or atleast i hope so...

About the3 kids, Max, Bobby, and Mellisa,i just added them in,but they might mean something in the later chapters. In fact i'm pretty sure you'll be hearing more ofthem.

Well i hope you liked this chapter and if you didn't, i'm totally siding with you, then please grant me some constructive critisim.

Please reveiw and tell me what you think! I had a little fun writing this, but of course that's just me. There will be some friction between Starfire and Tim, so watch out for that.

Till the next chapter,

Love your,

One-N-Only,

Princess Lali of both Spain and England.

P.S.: The next chapter is about the battle between Tim and Starfire. The titans meet Tim and they take a little trip to visit the Royal Thieves...What chaos will erupt!and don't forget to review!


	7. Chapter 7 Kids Stories and the Blade

Sooooo Sorry i didn't update sooner! But here it is and i hope you like it! Don't forget to reveiw! And thank you for all your help and reviews with this story! Well here it is! Enjoy!

Chapter 7: The story behind the kids. And the Blade

Off in the deaths of the city a boy chased a girl in an air-borne fashion that would have lead to a distraction in the midst of the civilians if it weren't for the time of night that they were fighting in.

Timothy chased after Starfire with speed as great as hers. They both zoomed through the city one trying to get away and the other trying to get closer.

It was then when Starfire ceased her flying and clashed her, or properly his, sword with the opposing one and held it there until she took her dagger away and he attempted to swipe her.

She jumped higher into the air and he missed, only to have the weapon once again crash into hers.

She flipped in back of him but he wasn't so easily fooled.

"You must think me an amateur the way you're fighting." He mocked, which only placed her at a fiercer level with him.

He could be really cocky and annoying sometimes.

If not, all the time.

She gritted her teeth and threw the dagger that she was holding at him.

It aimed for his neck but he hastily moved out of the way for it to be collided into a Chinese restaurant's neon flashing letter.

It sparked thousands of little colorful embers before blowing out a huge puff of gray blobs, otherwise known as smoke.

Starfire gasped quite loudly. She knew Timmy would avoid her attack, but she was so clouded with anger she failed to notice what her dagger hit behind him.

He shook his head in shame.

He sighed and looked back at his old friend with yet another smirked playing along lips.

"Now, now, Kori, you were taught better than that. You know to always be one step ahead of your attack. Tsk.Tsk.Tsk" Tim accused.

Starfire narrowed her eyes, into dangerously angry slits. A small pout crossed her bronze features.

She clenched and unclenched her fists.

He snickered lightly, but that only lasted for a few seconds, for Starfire had collided her fist into his jaw.

He automatically flew back.

"It seems you have also forgotten the ways no? Do not lose your concentration on your opponent and do not get distracted. You have failed to over see both." She lectured, to the groaning Timmy. He rubbed his palm under his jaw, as if trying to make the pain go away.

It quickly vanished, the pain, and he was up right once again in his cocky position and smirking smile.

"So you have neither forgotten. This is good." He mused out loud. Starfire gritted her teeth and made movement to hit him. But at last minute decided to get back her weapon.

She flew over to it and quickly picked it up before any more action was able to take place.

She once again collided her sword into his and after a few sharp and agile movements, it came to just his sword in her hands pointing it at his neck.

Just as she had thought.

She smirked at him, but it quickly fell as she saw him smiling back.

She quirked her tiny eye brows as if to question, and he knew she wanted him to seem defeated.

He wouldn't give her that much of credit.

Besides, he has another trick up his sleeve.

He locked his eyes with hers. And they held their staring match for a god few seconds, until Timothy thought it was the right time, and quickly in one swift motion lifted his feet and bounded right up.

This caught Starfire off guard, and also what he did next.

He hooked off one last machete from his belt.

Starfire's eyes wandered about the wondrous blade.

She had seen this before. Once. When she attempted to steal it. The beautiful object was once the precious treasure that she had longed for.

The beautifully cut and balanced masterpiece on which she had obsessed over taking when she was a young one.

But she never could have it as her own.

No matter how many numerous items she had taken throughout her thieving career, all have been successful, but one.

She had managed to touch it.

To feel it against her smooth skin.

Her finger tips. But she never got far enough to claim it hers.

She just couldn't.

It just wasn't done.

She wanted to. Oh how she wanted to.

But she didn't have the heart to take such a priceless object of stealth.

The sword itself was a sight to see.

But to keep it.

To take it as yours.

That was only done by one, and only one person living today.

Tina.

Starfire's eyes went wide at his weapon.

Why did he have it?

He wouldn't, **_couldn't_**, have stolen it.

Even if he did want to.

He chuckled at her reaction, knowing this was the cause of him showing off his temporary sword.

It was just as his master had said.

'Take it with you Timothy. She won't fight back, knowing that you have it' 

And he knew somehow, she was right.

Starfire would never fight against a blade that she had attempted to acquire.

She would know the seriousness of their problem if she saw the sword in his hands.

Starfire gasped.

And he knew, he knew (a/m: yes I know I repeated it) that she would have to come with him and the others. No matter, what was held in the future of her life now.

She narrowed her eyes into slits, and her glare was directed to him.

He returned it with an amused look.

He also knew that she would need some answers.

But he was not the one to give them to her.

"Look familiar Kor?" He asked swinging the dagger side to side, to get more of her attention. With it's shining brilliance glimmering in the moon's light.

It was polished to achieve it's highest shine, it was silver yet sparked of gold around the edges making it look elegant, yet destructive in the same matter. Its handle was surrounded by crystals and symbols of a language yet to be discovered.

It was mysterious yet magnificent in it's own beautiful way.

And Starfire was one out of a few that had fallen into its silencing spell.

"What are you doing with it Timothy." She spat, enraged with the thought, that he had the sword that she had wanted ever since she first lay her emerald eyes on it, 9 years ago.

She didn't call him Timmy, or Tim.

She called him Timothy.

She was mad.

He winced, knowing what an angry Kori would bring.

'_So much for silence'_ He thought.

"Now, now, Kori, let's not get feisty. Let me expl-" He started but was caught off by her insulting.

"HOW DARE YOU STEAL IT FROM HER! HOW COULD YOU STEAL IT FROM HER!" Starfire screamed.

Tim sighed and shook his head. But she continued with her rambling.

"SHUT UP!" He yelled. Starfire wasn't about to be quieted so easily, but by the way he said it. That made her silent.

"Kori, can you just let me explain! Lord. Do you really think I'm cable of even touching the sword? Or at all stealing it? Think Kori, think." He started again.

Starfire shook her head.

"But Tina wouldn't willfully give it to you unless-"She gasped.

"She's serious Kori. We need your help." He finished for her, knowing she wouldn't finish the sentence on her own.

Starfire's eyes enlarged once again.

She closed her eyes, as if wanting it all to be a dream.

But she opened her eyelids.

And it wasn't.

"No! I won't go back! I'm a TITAN! A TEEN TITAN!" She yelled as an excuse.

"So that's it? You're just gonna leave us after all they, **_we_**, did for you?" Tim fought back.

It was true and she knew it.

But she just couldn't. It was such a long time ago. And what about the team? Her responsibility as a hero.

A super hero.

Not a thief.

Before another word could be made out by either of them.

She dived down into the air and made a run for home.

Tim shook his head in aggravation.

This was going to take some catching to convince.

Soon enough right after she dived he dove right after and once again it was up to the cat and mouse game to bring her back.

He was right behind her tail.

(a/n: No she doesn't have a tail)

He knew full well now that she wouldn't be able to fly as well.

Her unbridled joy was to a limit and there was no solar power to fuel her.

This was going to be easy.

He flew in front of her with one jump in the air and as if on waxed floor Starfire slid on air and ended up back to the ground eyes looking up at an amused Tim. Her hands to the side behind her, making it look like she was supporting her weight on top of a surface.

She smirked.

Now it was his turn to be confused.

She let go of her hands that were supporting her on the air.

And dropped.

The wind howling in her ears as she plummeted down to the earth.

Tim, being afraid of her own safety dived once again with her.

"Kori! What the hell are you doing?" He yelled at her, hoping she would regain her sanity and stop before hitting, what he thought, the water below.

But she knew better.

Being in Jump City for a couple of years, gave her the chance of knowing the city like the back of her hand.

She wasn't stupid. She knew what she was doing.

And just continued to smirk up at the panicking Tim.

Just before she was able to hit anything below her. She got in her agile stance still in the air and prepared to touch solid concrete.

Tim was still perplexed about the whole situation.

Starfire saw her rooftop home come into view, and touched ground.

She didn't yet notice the three children that were on top of it also, along with the rest of her friends.

All she focused on at the moment was at the worrying boy up above.

By the time Tim came into view of the tower, it was too late for him to halt his falling.

So he just continued to yell bloody murder and put his arms in front of his head to prevent from making a hard impact into the ground.

Starfire slid a few steps to the left right in time for her to see Tim crash into the concrete roof, hard enough to make an imprint of his figure into the ground.

She heard him groan, and couldn't hold the urge to giggle lightly.

The rest o the titans were still arguing with the three kids, and heard all the commotion coming from the other side of the roof.

They sprinted to the other side just in time to see Tim come crashing down hard, and a giggling Starfire.

Few words escaped the titans.

But the kids had a handful.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice before messing with the princess, huh Tim?" Mellisa taunted.

Another frustrated groan flew from his lips still planted on the ground.

The titans stared confused as to what to do.

"Lord." Max started. "And to think he's suppose to be our role model"

Bobby gasped.

"Master Tim! What happened? Let me help you! This was most probably a mistake!" He exclaimed trying to cover up for his hero.

Mellisa slapped Bobby on the back of his head.

"You Re**(a/n: For those of you who don't know what "Re" stands for it means "retarded" just in case some of you were confused**). She beat him. He fell. Live with it" She stated in with feeling in the beginning but left it monotonously at the end.

Raven looked over at Mellisa.

"At least one of them is smart." She said after observing.

Beastboy was still confused, Cyborg was crying over his tower's roof, and Robin stared.

Timothy finally was able to lift himself out of the dent with a little bit of Bobby's help.

Tim shook his head to get rid of all the stars he was seeing.

He glared at the remaining two children who instead of helping there tutor come out from the hole, were laughing up a storm.

They immeadtly stopped at looked over to him.

Max quirked an eyebrow.

"What?" He asked.

Tim walked cautiously up to the two; Mellisa took a timid step back. But Max stayed put.

Showing no fear.

It was dead silent, the only sound, coming from all of their breathings.

Max continued to glare at his teacher. And the teacher glared back at his student.

"When you see a team mate in need of assistance. You help them." Tim pointed out quite harshly.

Max sneered.

"We're here to learn, and accompany you to help convince the princess. Not help you get out of hole. You're supposed to be teaching us remember? So, unless you want me to report you're mistake to Tina. I suggest you get off our case." Max replied, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Mellisa and Bobby both let out an "Ohhhh" after gasping quite loudly.

Starfire gasped quietly as well.

She was well aware at what the children were doing here. And for one of them to stand up and threaten someone of higher status, is considered dangerous.

Tim wasn't backing down so easily.

He was quite aware of Max, the leader. Or at least the leader of the junior section.

But he still has quite a lot to learn.

Tim has known Max for some time now. Max was one of the rescued children. As almost all children who come to the Royal Thieves are. But Max was a different child.

Unlike most of them who were rescued from fires, orphanages, or abusive families.

Max was a street child. Only a few were street children, because of the laws they have today.

But Max was rescued off the street. That is where he developed his attitude.

That is where he developed his courage, his bravery.

That is why he is a leader. He has the wits to back it up.

But so was Tim.

And he wasn't about to let a child of lower monarchy size him down.

He has all the 411 on Max, and has been watching him for some time. He is the one who offered for him to be leader of the junior section to Tina. Tim was the one found him.

Max might not know it. But Tim was his savior.

The night that Max was taken to the Royal Thieves Mansion, Max was recruited by a different thieve.

But Tim was the one who spotted him out. Out of all the other children. Tim knew that Max had spunk.

Now here he is, four years later, and threatening him.

This kid has gone far.

So far he was passing one test but failing the other.

He was passing bravery. Haggle. And form of leadership.

But he was failing respect.

And that in a team is important.

The look on Tim's face didn't alter in a fracture.

Silence still loomed over the roof of the tower.

Tension seeming to grow between the two thieves.

Tim circled Max and ended up behind him.

Mad stood in place. Not daring to move.

"Max, you may think yourself quite brave threatening your tutor, or quite stupid. But what matters greatly is not the threat but the respect that you show me and any others above you. You may be the leader of the juniors." Tim paused to let it sink in a bit. Max winced at the name "juniors" It made him sound like a child. "But that is _ALL_ you are. And of you plan to be anything more, or even dream of becoming someone of my status. I suggest you start to show some respect." Tim finished off and smirked at the effect it had on his young pupil.

The Titans, all were blank with all expression except confusion.

Even Raven was now with the same stupid confused face as Beastboy's.

Robin was absorbing all the evens of the past hour.

Cyborg was still examining the need to be made repairs on the roof.

And Starfire was seemed the only one to be alive at the time.

She gently walked over to Tim who was still behind Max, smirking. **(a/n: Tim is smirking not Starfire)**

She seemed so light with her steps that you couldn't even notice her.

But both Tim and Max were trained to have the sixth sense and turned to look at her.

Max had the look that any pissed off 13-year-old boy would have. And Tim seemed satisfied with his approach to the problem.

Bobby was celebrating all by himself aside Tim, and Mellisa still had a faint look of fear on her face.

Max grunted and let out a cold breath, his breathing forming a white fog out of his mouth.

"Mel, Bob, lets go. Were not needed here any more. And we have classes in the morning. Let's head out." He ordered as he walked ahead of them and casually jumped off the roof.

Or as normal and casual as it gets jumping off a 50-foot roof. (**a/n: Okay I have NO IDEA what 50 feet is. So I don't know if that's way too tall. Or way to short. But just ignore that part of you want. I'm not good with numbers.)**

Bobby was about to protest, for he wanted to stay with Tim. But Mellisa gave him a cold look that shut him up almost instantly.

Mellisa soon followed with her leader's exit, and 12-year-old Bobby looked up at his hero.

Tim looked down to the desperate boy and gave him a warm smile.

This one, Bobby, was on of his clients.

Bobby was an orphaned boy stuck in an abusive orphanage. No family, or friends. He was a loner.

Tim was on one of his daily round ups for taking in poor children. And he had all he was able to take for the day.

But when he looked at the little eight-year-old Bobby. He couldn't leave him. Ever since, he took Bobby under his wing, and Bobby looked up in admiration to the young man.

Bobby, was a good kid. No matter how annoying he got.

Right now Bobby was to old to get his daily ruffle on the head. But a smile from Tim was all he needed to make his feel special, and with that he ran off after Mellisa and drifted off into the shadows with his teammates.

Tim sighed.

Mellisa was one hard nut girl. She used to live in the ghetto and her family was very abusive. They formed her into the snappy girl that she is today. The little Hispanic girl was born there and lived there until the Royal Thieves came and took her away. She had lost her parents and her lived with her neighbors, which was her only living family. Who only kept her because they needed someone to do all the work around the house, to lazy to do it themselves.

Mellisa was too young at the age of 7 to do anything. She was frequently beat and worked as a slave. She was an abused child and was lucky to be looked over by the Royal Thieves. Ever since she's had trouble being trustworthy to anyone. Tim had noticed that she had taken a certain attachment to Max, for they had both been recruited around the same time. Perhaps he was the only one who was able to get Mellisa to show herself around him. Tim acted like an older brother to the girl because of her phobia to yelling, screaming, or anger. He loved to annoy and bug her. It was always fun to see her irritated.

But now he felt bad seeing the look of afraid on her tan features when he glared at Max and her.

The three kids made a good team although they may not seem like it. Tina was specific on whom to assign for the leader of the junior division and the two other commrands.

And Tim knew she had made a good choice in choosing Max, Mellisa, and Bobby.

Tim sighed once again. Brushing his memories of the children aside.

Right now he was in trouble.

He knew what was to come of this.

His old team mate standing behind him, and the rest of the Titans. All alone on the roof of **_their_** home.

He was on their turf and he had lost the battle.

He was in one big pickle.

Tim pivoted swiftly around to face a glaring Starfire, and confused titans. He opened his mouth, but nothing seemed to come out.

Starfire tapped her foot impatiently waiting for him to explain.

Robin was the first snap out of his confusion for his hatred to Tim. He had already not liked him from the beginning and was unsure of what to do at the very moment.

Raven was next. But Beastboy was lost in track of thought.

Although the emotionless girl was one to judge on first sight, she was mixed with different emotions radiating off from both Robin and Starfire. And was unsure of what to think of Tim.

Robin was full of anger and hate.

Starfire, although she showed irritation, was filled with, confusion, anxiety, fear, happiness, and the faintest hint of…love?

Raven shook her head.

Who was this Tim fellow?

And what was going on?

"Starfire.What.Is.Going.On" He said in five uneasy breaths. Starfire gazed over to her leader and then took full interest on the ground.

Why didn't he leave when she told him to?

"Robin…This is-" She began but a rude boy cut her off.

"Tim. And that is no way to ask a lady. If you want to know what's going on don't ask her. She's not even quite sure herself, and I'd appreciate it if you would leave us to some privacy." Tim finished sending dirty glares to the boy wonder.

Tim really didn't like this guy.

Him and Kori were way to close to his liking.

Robin's teeth sawed each other, as if trying all he could to hold back the act of killing Tim right on the spot.

Beastboy was still spaced out. Drool now running down his chin.

Raven gave him a gross look and slapped him aside the head to snap him out.

Beastboy jerked to attention from the contact of pain to his skull, and yelped.

"ALEINS!" He randomly screamed.

Cyborg took his attention off his work to laugh at the screaming Beastboy.

Raven groaned and wiped her hand over her face.

Tim directed his attention now also to the running around screaming changeling and gave an amused look.

"Those he always do this?" He asked.

Raven shook her head.

"It's a daily routine." She answered and she levitated to Beastboy who jumped off the roof still screaming.

Cyborg couldn't stop laughing, and Starfire and Robin were too lost in thought to really care.

Tim shrugged his shoulders and looked back at Starfire.

Starfire finally picked her head up and gave a stern look at Tim.

"Timothy. What is going on?" She asked. Everyone by now wanted the answer to that question and she knew full well he would only answer her.

Tim sighed.

"Something's…happened." He said cautiously as if not wanting to go on.

Starfire took a few steps forward, and Robin wanted to interfere, but he knew he shouldn't. If he wanted answers, and Timothy was the only one that was able to give them to him. He would have to play the puppet and roll along with it all.

"What has happened Timmy?" She whispered.

Tim didn't wince at his childhood nickname that time. For he knew it was her way of showing caring.

He blinked at questioned himself if he should continue.

"Look…I can't really tell you. But Tina can. All I can tell you is that this is serious and we need you help. Didn't you get the note?" He asked.

Starfire once again stared at the ground wide eyed.

Robin was even the more confused.

'What letter? Why didn't she tell me?' Robin screamed in his head. It was almost enough to make a guy scream it out loud.

This was getting frustrating.

"Yes." She answered.

"And I'm here."

"Yes"

"And you saw the blade"

"Yes." She said once again this time gulping before answering.

"So now do you know the seriousness of the problem?" He asked now turning her stern look back at her.

Starfire didn't answer. She just looked away.

"They can come too." Tim gestured to the reaming Titans.

Starfire glared back at Tim.

"No. I will not involve them."

Robin heard that part and thought it was time to step in.

"We're already involved. If Starfire goes. We all go. And that's including me." He stated.

Starfire let out a deep sigh.

"Robin, no. You don't even know what this is about. I don't want you to meet these people." She argued.

Robin looked at her.

"Starfire to tell you the truth I have no idea why you would be involved with a thief, and we will take care of that later" He said sending a look to Tim. "But I know you and you wouldn't trust just any thief, so I'm guessing that he's not such a bad guy." He finished with a lie.

She would trust just anybody. And he hated the likes of Tim.

But he knew this is what had to be done to break Starfire.

Starfire knew it would be a mistake.

She shouldn't get her friends involved in this. But she had grown so attached to them. Especially Robin, so that she felt as if she could do nothing without them.

Their safety was much more important than her feeling though. And she couldn't let that blind her.

For a second she was about to say 'fine'.

But then a flashback popped into her head.

Nick.

She wouldn't let that happen to Robin. Or any of her friends.

Or Tim.

She shook her head.

"Robin this isn't a yes or no. You have nothing to do with this and I will do anything in my power to keep you and the rest out of this. This is my burden, of which I have laid out for myself. And now I must deal with the consequences of my past." She said firmly, yet calm and sincere.

Robin put to and to together.

"Is this what you were talking about?" He asked.

Starfire gave Robin a quizzical look.

"I fail to comprehend Robin"

"You were talking about your past. And how you were having some problems. Is this that part of your past?" He asked once again.

Starfire froze.

How was she going to get out of this?

She knew she had let too much slip.

Tim studied the interaction between the two friends, and saw the friction.

He smirked a little. Only visible to himself.

The Titans were in. And there was no way to get them out.

Starfire knew this to, hence the freezing.

Tim thought it was time for someone to speak and it was quite noticeable that Starfire wasn't going to.

"Looks like your coming with us." Tim stated, cheerfully just to annoy Starfire.

Starfire hunched her shoulders while clenching her fists.

"So it seems." She muttered under her breath, but Tim heard it and chuckled softly.

Robin seemed satisfied with his pushing and was ready to ask the next question.

"Coming where exactly?" He asked.

Raven was levitating with an un-conscious Beastboy on a black disc. Cyborg was just finishing up his patchwork and was sprinting to see what all the talking was about.

All of them gave Raven an amused yet questioning look at she just stared back at them with an emotionless expression.

"Don't ask." She said monotonously.

They all just shrugged and went on with the business of finding answers.

"So I heard Rob say were going somewhere? Where to? And who are you?" Cyborg asked.

"You are going somewhere. We're going to the Royal Mansion, and I'm Tim, the thief." Tim answered, in order of his questions.

Cyborg nodded as if getting all the information needed. A bit excited about hearing they were going to visit a mansion.

But Raven and Robin weren't satisfied.

Raven was going to ask a question but decided to leave it for later.

It was really early in the morning and the sun was just rising over the horizon.

Tim squinted his eyes as if thinking.

"It should be around 5 in the morning. We better be going off if we want to get to headquarters by nine." Tim concluded out loud.

Starfire nodded.

The rest went along with it, except for Cyborg.

"Wait a minute! By nine? So we're going to be stuck in a car for 4 hours!" Cyborg whined.

Tim grinned.

"Nope." He stated.

Cyborg and the others except Starfire looked at him confused.

Starfire rolled her eyes knowing what was coming next.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

Tim grinned even wider.

He just loved to brag.

"We're not going in a car. We're going in a-"

"Limo." Starfire cut him off.

He held the word in his mouth getting ready to say it, and at hearing her say it he let out a long breath and glared at her.

"Why do you get the best part?" Tim whined like a little boy.

"Because, you do the bragging as they say about it." Starfire said with an added smile.

"A LIMO!" Cyborg yelled.

Which woke up a now sleeping Beastboy.

"WHAT!" He exclaimed.

Raven for a second looked amused, but quickly covered it up with a boring expression.

"Yes. A limo. Yahoo." She said in her usual dull voice.

Robin was still with the hatred feel against Tim, and had been in a limo for half of his life. So it was nothing new to him.

Being the heir of a billionaire and all.

Beastboy stood up right and ran over to Tim where Cyborg already was asking him millions of questions about the vehicle that they were going to be riding in.

They were the only one's who didn't seem to hear the part where he mentioned Tim the thief.

Robin had heard Bobby mention it before. But not until now did he take it into consideration.

He was a thief. Are the words that were going through his head at the moment.

It only added to the list of hatred towards the boy.

The sound of twinkling little bell in the distance ringed in Tim and Starfire's ears.

All the ears of the titans and the thief caught the sound.

But only Star and Tim reacted to it.

Just like a trained dog to a bell for food.

They picked their heads up and ran over to the roof, which caught everyone's attention.

They both as if on extinct jumped off of the roof in diving position and soared to the bottom.

Closed eyes letting the wind of the fresh morning, and the dew of the grass fill their ears and noses.

They landed in and agile stance as if cats, except they both landed on their two front feet instead of four.

The other titans stared awe struck at the act that the two were showing.

Then they both grinned at the same time in a playful motion and sprinted over to the limo that the titans just noticed was in front of the tower.

How it got over the water, was beyond them.

It brought back memories to both Tim and Starfire, when they were young children. He gave her his lollypop when they decided to call it their routine.

Flashback:

A young girl with red shining hair stood a top of a tall building. She hummed to herself happily.

She was cheerful.

Joyful.

She took another lick from her swirling lollypop.

Tina had given it to her for job well done at another robbery, which she helped in.

She smiled at how good the lollypop tasted against her taste buds.

She loved the colors also.

And she loved the name too.

"Lolly Pop, Lolly Pop" She repeated over and over to herself.

She giggled innocently as she took yet another lick at her well earned reward.

All of sudden she heard the sound of something rustling around the roof top and quickly stood up.

Almost dropping the lollypop but making sure that it was still in hand.

Her breathing quickened

It is probably just Tim or Nicholas. She thought to herself.

But when she looked around, usually she would see the faintest sign of them.

And at the moment she didn't see any.

She was all alone.

The thought of being alone didn't hit her until just now and she was shaking.

Her lollypop was slipping slowly out of her grasp because of the sweat that was dropping from her hands.

She heard yet another sound coming her right and she quickly turned her head, to yet again find nothing.

Her dress swayed with her body.

She had changed out of her tight suit into a more comfortable white dress with strawberries patterned on it.

Two little spaghetti straps hanging over her shoulders.

And white sandals. Her side bangs pinned to the back of her head.

Her bangs lying shortly on her forehead.

She would have seemed like any other normal city girl living in New York during the summer.

If not for her location in the city.

She wanted to ask who was there.

But at the moment couldn't find her voice.

All of a sudden a bird swooped down a scared the girl who finally found enough of a voice to let out a yelp and fell backwards.

Her lollypop falling to ground.

She sat back up only to notice that her delicious sugary treat had fallen out of her grasp and over the building. Down to the streets below.

She then looked all around to find that the bird was nowhere to be seen.

She then directed her attention back to the fallen dirty lollypop that was also now out of sight.

Tears swelled up in her eyes.

She shut them tight as if to urge herself not to cry.

But she was only a girl.

And what more can a little girl do but to cry.

She silently sobbed as she slinked to the hard concrete floor, where only minutes ago she was enjoying the delicious taste of her candy.

While she was crying, she failed to notice the sounds of footsteps coming closer.

It was not until the sound of footsteps were only a few inches away that she took notice.

She took a sharp breath and spun around still on the ground.

She came face to face with Tim.

She was expecting to see Nicholas.

But to see Tim just made her embarrassed.

Nick would comfort her.

He would make her feel better. Usually Tim would try to annoy her or bug her just for the heck of it and make her feel bad.

They often fought, more so than Nick and her. Like siblings really.

But right now.

The girl saw that there was not a hint of mischievous playfulness in his eyes.

Even at a young age the girl could tell if you were to bring bad or good.

And right now she sat silent, waiting for him to make another move.

He took something from behind his back and handed it to her.

"Here" He said simply as he handed her the exact replica of the candy she was holding only minutes ago.

She looked at the treat quizzically and back at him with a quirked little eyebrow.

"You can have it. You dropped yours right?" He asked.

She nodded.

"And you liked it."

Once again she nodded.

"And you wanted another one"

She was so used to nodding to him by now she did the same.

Soon realizing how rude of her that was.

She gasped.

"Oh. Forgive me Timmy. I do not wish to take away your sugary treat of candy which you call a "Lolly Pop"…" She apologized.

He smiled a little.

"Naw…It's all right. You can have it." He said while waving his free hand as if to wave off the topic.

She delicately took the candy and brushed her hand against his, which made him blush.

She stared down at the lollypop with hungry eyes and back at Timmy with starry eyes and a 100-watt smile.

He grinned sheepishly.

He loved making her smile, and pout. But he hated seeing her cry.

Nick was usually the one here to give her the lollypop when she needed it.

But not today.

For the first time.

It was Timmy.

She took off the wrapper of the candy and licked it with her small tongue.

She turned back around to face the city once and hum once again.

Timmy sighed and turned around to fly away.

But something stopped the young boy.

"Timmy! Wait!" The young girl called turning back around to look at him.

He twirled to see her pleading eyes.

"What?" He asked.

She took interest on the floor and patted the seat next to her.

"Sit…Do you not wish to look at the city with me?" She offered.

He couldn't help but once again smile and jog over to the empty seat.

They sat for an hour or two talking about nothing in particular.

Or whatever two 9 year olds can talk about on top of a tall building over New York City.

They stopped when they heard the sound of a twinkling bell in the distance and instantly halted their chat. It was the signal that their ride was here to take them back home.

They looked back at each other before both giving a playful grin and sprinting toward the other side of the edge.

They both as if on extinct jumped off of the roof in diving position and soared to the bottom.

Closed eyes letting the wind of the fresh morning and speeding cars and taxi's swirl in their ears. They landed in and agile stance as if cats, except they both landed on their two front feet instead of four.

Then they raced to the limo.

When they got there, it was a tie and they called it a truce.

It was then decided that from then one. Every time they would hear that sound, they would do their regular routine.

Starfire and Tim both slapped the top of the hummer limo's roof at the same time.

"I win," They both said simultaneously.

They giggled together as the others were flying down to the ground.

Raven carrying Cyborg and Beastboy as a pterodactyl carrying Robin.

The minute Cyborg and Beastboy got down they rushed over to the limo drooling over the rims and exterior.

It was silver with a plate that read "BAD BOY"

Raven rolled her eyes when she saw it.

"Boys" She muttered.

Robin couldn't help but think the limo was pretty cool.

But didn't show it because he wanted Tim to know he meant business.

After a few minutes of greeting the driver named "George" they hopped into the limo and began their trip to the Royal Mansion.

Not knowing the number of surprises that were to await them when they got there.

End of chapter!

OMG! 15 pages! I know not a lot….but it is if you wrote it all today! I'm soooo sorry I didn't update sooner but it's been hectic and hard to reach the computer.

Anyways…

What have we learned from this chapter?

I wanted to give a little insight on the kids in the story. Some of you might have gotten the wrong expression that the kids were like the bad guys. Well they're not really. It was like they were just there to observe Tim, which is like their teacher, on how to become a better fighter and all that. And just in case help convince Starfire to come with them. Tina might get introduced in the next chapter I'm not sure. I also wanted to kinds describe the before lives of the children because they're important. They're important because they stand for all the kids that have been recruited into the Royal Thieves. Now I hop you see that the Royal Thieves are more good than they are bad.

They're just breaking the rules by stealing and stuff. But they d save unfortunate children, so that was just a little insight on how it works.

About the blade. It will come back in later flashbacks on what happened, and why Starfire didn't succeed in stealing it.

I also wanted to show a little more Tim in there, so I threw in that flashback to show the closeness between Starfire and him.

There are going to be A LOT of surprises in this story.

A couple more Teen Titan characters are going to be thrown in…if you don't get where I'm going…thief…that's all I'm going to say. It's a hint of who's to come next for a surprise! If you know then please e-mail me and tell me, don't post it on the review board because then in kinda spoils it for the others…anyways…

A LOT of people want to know how Slade fit's into all this…. well think people! What is he known for? Bargaining? Black Mail? Think…anyways…he's coming soon…I'm not so sure if it's the next chapter he comes in…but soon people don't worry…Batman I'm a little iffy on if I should put him in again…I'm sorta sure I will…but not yet…err…. let's see where it goes…Wow okay this is long but I feel like I'm not done telling about this chapter…As you can tell I put a lot of cockiness in this story for Tim because that's just the way I'm shaping his character to be, but in the flashback I showed his other side. I hope you liked the lolly pop thing, I thought it was cute and sweet…again, I just felt like adding it because I felt like I needed to add more Tim and what better way to do that than throw in a flashback! LOL

Okay…let's see…ah yes! Why do Tim and Nick fly?

Why? Why? Why?

It will all be made clear shortly, but no they're not aliens…I'm not even so sure myself why they fly…but I can tell you they're not aliens like Starfire. I'm thinking of my choices right now, but if I give them away then I give away another surprise that I have up my sleeve.

Heheheh….okay…I didn't really know what to do with Cyborg or Beastboy in this story so I just like left them out.

I kinda left Raven out too…but it's just that I really don't know how to add them into a serious conversation…so I just made Cyborg take care of the tower, Beastboy become un-conscious for something that Raven did and Raven take care of a insane Beastboy.

Yup pretty self-explanatory.

LOL…Let's see…anything else? Ah yes…The thing with Tim and Star…who do I explain this? You'll just have to see in later chapters what's going on between them. The blushing act of Tim in the flashback should've given away the already obvious fact that he likes Starfire. And her part in the liking of Tim comes a little later…it's a story written with in a story, because little by little we shall be uncovering Starfire's past life.

My hands, and back hurt from writing so much so I'm going to finish this off by saying.

**Takes deep breath**

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WONDERFUL REVEIWS! WOO-HOO!

I'M LOVING THE FACT THAT YOU ALL THINK THAT MY STORY IS GOOD AND I SHOULD UPDATE!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! KEEP UP THE REVEIWS AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO KEE UP THE UPDATES!

Okay….

O I have an important question

Out of the three kids

Mellisa

Bobby

And Max

Which one is your favorite? Or do you think they're all bad? I kinda liked their personalities and I even gave the reason behind why they are like they are right now.

Wow…sorry for this Authors note to be so long but I just had to clear that up

Love, your,

One-N-Only,

Princess Lali of Both Spain and England

P.S.: Don't forget to review and tell me which kid you like the best.And i'm going to start my next chapter on her powers were kept in a promise the day after tommorow so don't worrry! Hope you liked it!


	8. Chapter 8 We're Here

**SO sorry I didn't update sooner…this is kinda of a short chapter but it's something…yea its really short…sorry**

**Dis-Claimer: I don't own them period…I do how ever own..Nick,Tina,Tim,Bobby,Mellisa,and Max.**

**Chapter 8: We're Here**

Robin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was next to Starfire, who was next to Tim, on one side of the long silver vehicle.

They had been in it for about an hour now. He wasn't so sure where they were going, or if it was going to be safe. But something was bugging him about Tim and he needed more information on the connection between Starfire and this guy…and when he said Kori, Robin knew he meant Starfire…but Starfire was her name…wasn't it?

Cyborg and Beastboy wouldn't stop drooling over the limo and kept popping up about a million questions about it. Both Raven and Robin waited for one of them to pop a question more informative, like where exactly they were going, or what he actually did, even maybe what connection was he to Starfire. But those questions never came.

So Robin sat, silently glaring at the boy, whom he knew nothing about, except for the part that he's a thief, and they're going to some Royal Mansion. Like Robin seriously knew what or where Royal Mansion was.

He was guessing it was a mansion, obviously. But a headquarters?

Now that was weird. But for some reason he was the only that didn't seem calm with this. Raven, too, was feeling a bit awkward trusting a stranger thief to take them somewhere, they didn't know where, and to help in something they knew nothing about.

Apparently they were finding out when they reached headquarters. Although Raven didn't trust this new stranger thief, and felt weird going somewhere she didn't know. She sat comfortably in her wide seat waiting patiently for them to reach their destination.

Beastboy and Cyborg couldn't get over the fact that they were in a limo that wasn't even suppose to be out on the shelf yet. After a while they stopped with the questions and Tim seemed more than happy with that decision. Now Beastboy had fallen asleep on Raven shoulder and Cyborg stuck to his built in Nintendo DS. What game? No one knew but him, but it was making a whole bunch of annoying noises, and when all the occupants of the vehicle except for George, Starfire, and Beastboy who was obviously sleeping, gave him a death glare, he turned the volume all the way down and continued his game.

Starfire seemed to be deep in thought about something. And Tim was first to catch notice.

He nudged her a bit with his right elbow.

She snapped out of her thoughts and gazed back at Tim.

She gave him a full attention look and waited for him to speak.

When he didn't talk. She took the floor and asked.

"What is wrong, Timmy?" She asked with a cheerful tone to it, as if hoping he would say something to give her a clue at to what was actually happening.

She fluttered her eyes to add to the cuteness.

"Are you finally going to tell me why it is that you summon me to the mansion?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes, " I already told you, you'll find out when you get there. Lord. Can't you be patient like your good friend over there?" He said gesturing to Raven on the other side of the limo.

Raven caught the point of his hand and looked up.

Seeming to not have a care in the world why he would gesture to her, she went back to attempting to meditate.

Starfire slumped down in misery of not knowing and Tim sat her up right again.

"Come one now. Don't be like that. I have orders here Ko-I mean Starfire." He corrected himself.

Starfire quirked in an eyebrow in a bit of confusion.

"It's not like you've ever went by them before. Usually you were the one trying to break to the rules or go over past the code to following orders." She stated as matter of fact.

He tugged on his color a bit as if thinking of something to say.

"That was back them. This is now." He tried. But she saw right through him, and folded her arms over her chest turning now to face him, waiting for him to cave.

But he was good and putting up his wall.

"What? You don't think I can follow the rules and be a good boy?" He asked with a smirk.

She shook her head indicating a no.

He put his mouth to one side as if thinking. (a/n: not literally it's just like when you think you sometimes side your mouth to one side, or like stick you tongue out a little when you're doing a math problem or something, same thing)

"I'm surprised Starfire. I always thought you would have a little bit more hope for me." He spoke with a fake little pout.

Starfire's eyes shot up a bit; she wasn't one to put someone's self esteem down.

"I didn't meant it like that Timmy, I just meant that you never followed the rules before, so why now?" She tried covering up. But not soon after did she realize what he did and sat back facing the front.

"Of course I didn't mean to hurt your ego or anything." She saved herself. Tim's mouth opened for a comeback, but nothing came out. Since when does his little Kori crack jokes?

He shrugged and observed the rest of her team.

He despised them. They took her away. She could have come back. She could have continued being the Princess of thieves. Yet she put it aside. She started over…for "good"

Tim grimaced at the thought of being a goody, goody, two shoes.

He liked the concept of maybe once in a while being the hero. His face showing up on the big screen, or having a little kid wanting to be him for Halloween. But he rather favored the thief part. He wasn't a murder. He didn't kill anyone. He didn't really "hurt" anyone.

He just stole things. Along with the rest of the Royal thieves.

And he was on TV. all the time. Maybe not as the hero, but that would have to do. And a number of people dressed up like him, more like him than any Batman or Robin. It just goes to show how many kids love the bad guys, just as much as the good guys. But Tim wasn't a bad guy either. A number times he lead the good guys to the hideouts, or lairs of the villains. So in fact, he helped in capture of the bad guys, but he never would take any credit for it. And there were a lot of thieves like him too. So he wasn't the only one. From time to time he felt proud of who he was and what he did. Though, most of the time he would go back to think of his two good old friends. He had always wanted to see Kori again. He even prayed some nights for her to be okay. He would cry for his other dead companion. He was always with Nicholas. They weren't that different although one showed his affection towards his attraction to the girl, unlike Tim, who rather decided to hide it.

Tim was a good guy at heart. And Starfire knew that. Which is why she trusted him. But trust could only go so far, and she was beginning to doubt if her friends were going to be safe. And how in the world was she going to not let them find out what and who she used to be.

This was going to be a bit difficult.

While Starfire was deep in thought once again, she put herself in more thoughts of her past.

She hadn't seen Tina in about 3 years. She missed her, practically, second mother. She raised her along with the rest of the Royal thieves. She cared for her and even cried with her sometimes at night when Starfire was sad and depressed. She showed her how to be an excellent thief. She only fed Starfire her own planet's food. For when Starfire first came to the thieves she remembers being afraid of eating any earth food, so Tina made sure any food that Starfire ate was purely from her home planet. It made her feel at home sometimes. And to make it better, no matter how disgusting or inedible the food looked, Tina would sit there and eat with her. She was her mother. Practically.

(a/n: okay this is not "really" a flashback but it is an event in the past okay…because if I made it a flashback then I would have to retrace EVERY single thing and detail and such, but the only thing that is important is what is here at the moment….so don't get confused okay?)

The first few months of her stay at the Royal Thieves, Starfire remembers seeing the blade for the first time. How she adored that sword. She had stumbled along it one day when she was investigating her new home.

She found a secret passage through the empty corner of the, huge, full of books, library. Which, little Kori visited almost every day to sharpen up on her English vocabulary, and also to read the wondrous stories of the princess' and princes'.

She decided to check out the dusty shelf in the corner, which no body used, and accidentally pulled on the book that would open a small door to a strange chamber.

Curios, Kori stepped into the dark room and found the blade hanging on a wall. Around it stood millions of rotating lasers, that unlike the other lasers Kori had to surpass, did not have a pattern and so would be almost impossible to get through. At the middle there were hundreds of stepping stones that seemed to rise up all by themselves with an emptiness nothing below, and it didn't look quite stable, you had to pick the right ones to get across or else you would fall to never come up again. After that was the end of the obstacle, which was never to be completed. At the end was guardian. This guardian guarded the blade with all it had and made sure to destroy anyone who got in the way.

But this wasn't any normal guard dog. This was a HUGE guard dog with three heads, which was a gift from the underworld. At least that's what Starfire was told.

The memories of the drool slipping out of their mouths and onto her small little red head, flashed through her mind, along with the disgusting odor of their breaths on the back of her neck flipping along with them. But they never hurt her. She just stood frozen, as frozen as any little 8 year old girl can get. And they sniffed her and growled but soon just went back to their hiding spot and went back to a dreamless sleep.

Little Kori entered the untouchable room of the golden, silvered sword and stood only but a few inches away, she was about to touch it. It seemed to shine greater as she reached out to place her finger upon the crystal handle.

But them something stopped her. She couldn't seem to touch it. It was too grave. Too wrong. But it seemed to so right at the time. She tried once again and she was sure she was going to have it. She touched it. Her finger tips felt the cold gold reaching her nerves and caught her hand around the handle of it. She picked it up delicately as if thinking it would have weighed a ton. But it was as light as a feather.

But just as soon and she held it the moment was gone. Tina found her. No words were to be needed or said. Kori placed the sword back in its place and looked shamefully back at her teacher.

She apologized for something she felt need apologizing for, and yet still Tina said nothing. She was as if hypnotized by something.

But soon enough she walked over to Kori and touched the blade herself.

"It was my fathers" She spoke. Kori looked to her and back at the blade that Tina was roaming her finger with.

Kori had a question that had been digging at her insides when she first saw it.

"Did….Did, he steal it Miss. Tina?" Kori asked innocently hoping for an answer.

Tina couldn't help but form a small smile at the small girl's innocence. But the question caught her a bit off guard.

"No. Or at least I was told that my great, great, great, grandfather made it himself, and was to be passed down. So I don't think he did." She explained.

Kori nodded.

Tina was shocked to see that the chamber to the room was opened, so imagine her surprise when she caught her little Kori there holding the sword.

The only way to get it was to get past the obstacle laid out and Tina had no idea how in the world she got past the dogs, but somehow, she knew that if anyone was to get past the sure death obstacle it would be Kori.

She was the one that Tina thought would make it to become a great thief.

Soon enough a few years later, there she was one of the best thieves in the world and given the name Princess of Thieves to prove it.

"Who was your great, great, great, grandfather Miss. Tina?" Kori asked with curiosity.

"He was….well you've probably read about him in your fairy tale stories." Tina started.

Kori cocked her head to the side as if in thought.

"I've read many stories, I do not know which one in particular you are speaking of."

Tina grinned once again and traced the embedded language from the handle with her nails. Her nails glimmered on them as the precious crystals shined on them.

"Have you read the one with the thief who took from the rich and gave to the poor?" Tina asked.

Kori seemed to light up with an idea and jumped up in recognition.

"Robin Hood?" Kori almost yelled.

Tina nodded. "Yes I believe that was him. This was the sword he made. And he past it down to my great, great, grandfather. And he passed it down to my great grandfather, and he passed it down to my grandfather, then my father. And then…me." Tina explained once again.

Kori seemed to understand more now. But was still entranced with the magnificent blade, which had caught her eyes.

"But…I wasn't suppose to have it." Tina ended. Kori was confused.

What was her master talking about?

Tina saw the confusing look her student gave her and let a small sad smile cross her features. Tina seemed to be retracing memories of a long time ago.

She sighed deeply, "You notice, Kori, how I kept saying grandfather, or father, as in a man?" She asked.

Kori nodded in a small realization, but still a bit confused.

"Well…I'm a woman, Kori. Sadly my father couldn't have any more children for he died before he could. And so I was his only seed. But…I was a girl…and because of that, I wasn't aloud to have what was so rightly mine. The first man in the family was to have it. Not me." She ended.

Kori had a look or serine innocence and sadness.

"That's…that's not fair." Kori optioned.

Tina chuckled bitterly, "Yeah…tell that to them…but they had to leave the piece of masterpiece to someone…and I was there. So here it is…"

Kori sighed…she was so close…so close yet so far…no that's right…she was close…she wasn't far at all. She just didn't get the chance.

(a/n: this kinda goes back to the present thoughts okay?)

Starfire sighed deeply retracing those memories and thoughts of how the feeling of the cool metallic lead fell on her fingers.

How Tina looked so sad when she told her the story of how the blade ended up in her hands.

Now she was going to see her again. After these couple of years she was going to see her.

At first when Starfire joined the titans, she was very closed in and acted like a very open person, but in truth, she only told of the stories she remembered, from Tamaran.

She never told of her thieving. Or Tina. Or Nick. Or Tim. Or anyone else.

She kept it to herself, obviously, and at night, sometimes she would break down and cry about her past life. She would miss them greatly. But she grew to love the Titans as her new family…and that helped her get passed it all. She felt happy. At home. She learned how to become a hero rather than a thief. She learned how to feel proud of what she did, this time for something good…instead of something bad.

She learned MUCH more stuff of what normal Earth people actually did. Instead of staying indoors every day and reading.

She met Raven and learned how it was to really have a real "Girl Talk".

She met Beastboy and learned once again what it was to have humor in her life.

She met Cyborg and learned once again how it was to feel protected and cared for.

She met Robin…and she learned….once again…how it was to love.

Starfire once again sighed, but not the usual stress readable sighs…one happy sigh that she smiled soon after.

She turned to her boy wonder sitting uncomfortably next to her.

She gave him a reassuring smile.

Robin felt someone looking at him and tuned to see Starfire's smiling face.

He wasn't sure of a lot of things. He didn't trust many things.

But when his masked eyes faced her emerald pools…he was happily forced to give it in and smiled back at her.

Sure…he wasn't perhaps sure of a lot of things…but he was sure Starfire was his best friend…although he wised he was aloud to be more…and he trusted her with his life.

Something inside told him that everything would be okay and all of sudden he relaxed.

Right where he was. Where he was sitting. Next to her.

He was comfortable.

She giggled lightly and directed her attention to the sleeping Beastboy and…wait what was this?

Raven had also fallen asleep somehow in the mess of trying to meditate.

Her hooded head and fallen limply on his.

Cyborg continued to play with his DS. Not taking notice of the sleeping couple.

A warm smile grew on Starfire's face. She knew somewhat of the feeling Beastboy and Raven had for each other…and maybe this wasn't an actual human show of feeling for each other…but somehow…she just knew.

After a short while of staring of the two opposites, she looked back at Tim.

He was staring out the window as the dew from the early morning rolled in droplets down the windows.

The mansion itself was on a secret street that only a certain amount of people knew about. And the road to the street was always calm and peaceful, having hardly no one to come to and from it.

The morning sun shown through the clear rectangles of glass and showered the forest they were riding through in samples of pastel colors. Dipping them in an earthly shine Starfire had never seen anywhere else before.

She studied Tim a bit and thought back on their childhood.

There was strong connection between them…but it faded soon after Starfire realized her love for Nick.

But did she have affection from him?

Starfire shook her head to get rid of the thoughts.

That was in the past. She had grown from both Tim and Nick.

Or at least…. she hopes so.

After a few boring hours in the limo, it began to slow down and you were able to hear the barking of dozens of dogs at an entrance.

This woke Raven up, and when she noticed the position her head was on, she blushed but only for the moment and pushed Beastboy off her shoulder.

He fell face first to the limo floor and shook his head out of the drowsiness.

"Huh? What?" He asked fully aware that there was warmth only a moment ago and then it was gone, replaced with the coldness on the thin rug below him.

Cyborg also took notice of there sudden slow in speed and looked down at Beastboy.

Robin sat up straight and waited patiently to open the door and get some answers to his questions.

Tim and Starfire seemed to be the only ones who were unfazed by their arrival.

Starfire gave a half sad smile, and half frown.

"What's going on?" Cyborg asked.

The driver opened up the door on the left, where Tim was seated and he stepped out.

The driver lended(sp?) his palm to Starfire and she gratefully took it like she used to so many years ago.

"Welcome back Miss.Anders." The driver stated with a slight bow.

The rest of the titans stepped out in awe of the huge mansion in front of them.

Six stories above them. Three stories below them. And a couple of gardens in front of it. Probably some in the back. With one Doberman stationed at each garden barking and growling at the new comers.

Beastboy and Cyborg both whistled in astonishment.

"Toto, I don't think we're in Jump anymore." Beastboy commented.

Raven herself was starting up at the beautiful home. Even the sun decided to make it seem even the more magical as it shined through the golden made gates and made the windows sparkle in a brilliant glow, making the flowers in the garden seem even the more blossomed. The fountain sprouted with life as the sun hit it and the bricked floor looked as if it had never been walked upon.

Starfire looked back at her friends who were still gaping at her old home.

"We're here."

The wide white doors with a lion head placed in the middle to allow people from the inside peer to the outside, opened, almost in slow motion like, and out walked a beautiful middle aged woman with a dark blue dress, her dark brown hair waved out behind her. Equal chocolate brown eyes filled with wisdom, looked on to all of the people right outside her luscious property, tears pooling up inside of them with happiness.

Her hands directly went to her mouth in surprise.

She hadn't seen Kori in almost 4 years. She was worried sick about the girl.

And here she was.

Starfire smiled one of the happiest smiles she had smiled since her first encounters with her past flash of memories.

Robin noticed the obvious emotion between the two ladies.

As did the rest of them. Tim saw the look of adoration between his teacher and his friend.

He smiled himself.

It was contagious and soon enough all of the team was smiling. Even a certain goth.

After a few seconds Starfire ran through all the bountiful floral arrangements and the dogs seemed to recognize her on impulse of her scent wafting around them, so they let her pass.

Tina had her arms open for her to embrace in.

In only a few moments Starfire was there hugging one of her tremendous signature hugs and Tina was hugging back, ignoring the fact her spine could possibly be fractured in the embrace.

The rest of the titans were more confused than before, if possible, and just stood there like idiots.

Tim chuckled.

"Well let's not just stand here. Come on." He said right before beginning his light jog to where his, practically, second mother was along with Starfire.

The rest of the titans looked at each other and then at the driver as if waiting for his approval on something.

"I believe you should follow Master Timothy and greet your selves with the mistress of the house hold." He suggested with a small slight smile, which reminded Robin of a certain butler.

The titans looked back at each other and shrugged,

"You don't gotta tell me twice" Beastboy said and ran up on dog form to the other three.

Soon to follow were Robin, Cyborg, and Raven.

They got to where the rest of them were and waited to be introduced.

Tina and Starfire were done with there greetings, and they didn't need to be reminded how much they missed each other.

Tina stared over at the other titans and then at Tim. "Well this is new." She muttered under her breath, knowing full well that Tim wasn't one to follow orders on first hand.

"So I see you finally seemed to fulfill a task I assigned. Without interruptions. I must say when Max, Mellisa, and Bobby came back from their mission with their little sour faces, I was about to send the back up team to help you out." Tina commented with a smirk.

Tim rolled his eyes.

"What is it with you guys and bringing my self-esteem down? I always do a good job!" Tim said annoyed.

Both Starfire and Tina giggled.

"Yeah…Keep telling yourself that." Tina said back.

Then Tina looked back over to the titans.

"Hello and Welcome to Royal Manor. I presume you all are the Teen Titans, correct?" Tina asked.

Robin stepped forward, taking his role as the leader.

"Yes. We are, Miss…" Robin waited patiently for her to fill in her name.

"Tina….Just call me Tina…" She answered.

* * *

OMG! So sorry…but if you don't know why I haven't updated in a while…just check the ending of my other story because…I don't have the actual time to write it down…sorry…I know I haven't updated this story in while and I really am feeling guilty that I wasn't able to update…well here it is…the 8th chapter and I was hoping to introduce Tina in this chapter instead of ending it on where Starfire says "We're here" so pat me on the back for getting a little bit farther than that. Woo…I'm really tired…let's see…what do I need to say…ah yes….This chapter was supposed to bring how Starfire came to see the sword and what it actually was…I bet I caught a couple of you off guard when I said Robin Hood, huh? Not that is really matters…I was actually planning it out all along that some how Robin Hood was connected to Tina. Anyways…I wanted to add some friendship/le spark between Robin and Starfire again to get that fire burning. Um…what else?…o yes the polls.

The winner for the best Junior is MELLISA! Ta-DA…so I might right something extra with her in the next few chapters so you get to know her better along with Max. Bobby will of course still be there but not as much as both Mellisa and Max.

Thank you all for your great reviews!

And for those of you who have caught onto what my following surprises are…you don't know how right you probably are…This story is going to add a lot of twist especially with the heated subject of why Starfire like's Tim…yet she's in love or was in love with Nick…and where does Robin fit into all of this? Poor Starfire…in the next chapter there is going to be another BIG surprise not really BIG per say…but still it connect a lot more pieces of the puzzle…I don't think I should say anymore…because I want to keep the next chapter a surprise… but I will say is that it has to do with Tim…and Nick…I probably let too much out already…anywayz…I gotta go because I have school in the morning and a dreaded test.

Please keep reviewing it really gives me more fuel to write and once again thanks for taking the time to review all together.

Till next time

Love your One-N-Only,

Princess Lali of both Spain and England

P.S. Thanks again for reviewing and I got this one review about the stuff with Starfire and how she should have known what eggs were…It actually got me thinking and I came up with that thing on where Tina only gave her Tameranean food and so she couldn't possibly really know what eggs were…and she hardly got to go out and investigate the city…only when robbing something or when on a short break but even on a short break she would spend it on top of a roof or something…well thanks for bringing that up so I can clear it up…again sorry for the long wait..don't forget to review! ba-bye


	9. Chapter 9 After her departure:Past Event

**A/N:…I have absoutley no exuse for not updating sooner…well actually I do, but it's not important. What is important, is that I've finally updated this story, I'm working on the other story, so don't frit or anything…You probably hate me…but I'm sorry, and I'll hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me…**

Now, on with this chapter…some things to clear up. This is sort of a memory chapter, and I was going to post it after the Titans were all comfortable in the mansion and everything…but things changed and I've decided to do it now, it might not make sense, but if you haven't noticed, a lot of the chapters get cleared up, afterwards. You'll probably hate me after this chapter…because if you like Tim, (which I personally do) then…you're in for a surprise. Remember though…this is the old Tim…This chapter basically shows what happened after Nicholas died, and Starfire left them. Their feelings, actions, how everything seemed to 'fall apart' for them, and gets picked up again. It adds to the life that Tim, Tina, and the other Royal Thieves went through, after her 'departure'. This explains a lot of things. The relationship that Tim had with Kori, and Nick. There's even a bit of a surprise at the end of the chapter. oooo!…It also kinda explains why Max doesn't exactly 'love' Tim. Wow…I should just go on with the chapter shouldn't I?…hehehe…go on…read. Oh and remember this is ALL based in the past, understand? So nothing here is in the present…I know that suxs but oh well…I didn't go into much detail…

**After her departure:**

When Tina sat in her office, or so she called it so, and it was three minutes past the proposed arrival time, it was official that something had happened.

Kori and Nicholas were _never_ late.

Not once.

And if she told Nick to come back at a certain time, she knew he wouldn't think twice at her words, double that for Kori, for when she was told something she didn't falter in the right to do orders.

She immediately began to worry and when that thin minute hand on the bronze clock moved the next millimeter, she dialed the next big thing.

It wasn't that Tim was less skillful than Nick or Kori. Of course Kori had the upper side in skillful, but Tim was up right there with Nick. The four were invincible, no one, could stop them.

But Tim and Kori tended to distract each other more often, in the fighting column, always challenging each other on different accounts, and bickering for silly nonsense that even Tina thought ridiculous.

Nick wasn't that far beyond Tim in that section, but unlike Tim, Nicholas took his job serious and when the time came for it, he would focus, and _only_ focus on reaching his goal. Kori as well was very serious with her work, and tried her best not to be directed onto anything other than getting the gold and running out.

So in Tina's opinion, Nick and Kori did better together. _A better match_, she had called it, _for working acquaintances of course_.

But the look in Tim's eyes the day she made that decision, Tina could tell she had broken something.

Tina always knew that there was some stronger link between Tim and Kori, and Kori and Nick, than just friendship.

But to be truthful she never looked into that type of stuff that much. Too many other things on her mind.

There were knew thieves in training, and new ones coming in.

It was too much to handle. So, she aloud that to go on its own track. She didn't want to get mixed in with their little affairs; after all they were still children.

But when she picked up the closest phone and lifted her digits to dial, she just couldn't think and called Tim.

Before the first ring could even make it through the telephone, she knew he was here, and there he was.

Bursting through the door in a hurry, a look of pure concern etching his features, something Tina doesn't normally see.

Without a word, they both suited up for a search.

Normally Tina would have more confidence in both Kori and Nick, but this was different.

They had gotten the full reports, and the guy they were dealing with.

Better word.

The _monster_ they were dealing with, was King Pin.

He had killed off many of her own agents sent out to do some extra dirty work, at first it was put of as mistakes, but the second death, even if it was out of perhaps a hundred, was still a death, and Tina forbade anyone from crossing paths with him. And by that she meant for no one to take extra duty on an item that he as well was planning to take in his own dirty hands.

But she trusted Kori, and Nick would always be there to protect the alien girl, add taking the job seriously and flying faster than agile falcon diving down, and you got a 95/15 that the job would get done.

Tina knew Kori wouldn't be able to focus so much on such an important task if she was worrying over Pin, so she decided on not telling Kori about it. But Tina did tell Nick, and although he didn't agree with Tina not informing Kori of the heavy information, he went along as planned.

Right after taking the priceless gem, they were to go straight back to base.

No messing around, or detouring.

Straight. Home.

But it was never to end that way.

* * *

Tim sent his division to search for the two missing troops, and Tina had chosen just Tim to scan the rest of the city.

They had found him first.

Nicholas.

It was a horrid sight.

Blood…everywhere, a pool of it. Some of it seeping out of his mouth. A hole pierced right through Nick's eternal organs.

Tina collapsed at the sight a tried her best to convince herself that it wasn't him.

It was somebody else. It wasn't Nicholas.

_Her _Nicholas. The little boy she had raised as her own son.

His eyes were closed, and he looked like he hadn't suffered. But that wasn't the point.

The point was that he wasn't breathing.

The point was that he wasn't alive.

The point was that…he was gone.

Tina was wracked with sobs, her tears falling at an impossible speed. Creating their own pool next to the dead red one, slowly turning into a copper color.

Tina couldn't dare look over at Tim. Even though she was sad enough herself…no sad didn't explain it.

It was that deep sadness of a mother losing her child. That deep sadness that felt like dieing then and there, for no rational thought was lying deep within her brain at that moment, and if the image of the rest of the Royal Thieves weren't in her mind, she probably would have jumped off the roof they were on.

Everything was beginning to fall apart.

She knew something had happened, but this…it was too much.

Never would she think something as serious as this would happen.

Tim had frozen at the sight. His face was washed from any color; his eyes were dilated and glazed over. He began to silently tremble, his lips turning an unnatural purple hue.

A gentle breeze had picked up that day, and played out around Tina and Tim.

As if trying its best to drift away their troubles.

But it couldn't.

Tina slowly with the help of Tim lifted from her spot, and called the oldest of the Royal Thieves, to take care of the body. No younglings should be even close to this area, Tina couldn't bear to see her little thieves crying right now as she was. Their small eyes shouldn't ever see such a murder.

Tina, with a trembling hand took her black communicator, lightly pressed a red button on the side and spoke through with a hoarse voice.

"W-w-we found him." She began with a stutter, bracing herself for the next line in her command.

The person on the other side greatly confused in hearing their leader with such a fearful voice, as if stressing for the next words.

"And…Bring the white cloth." She ordered, automatically closing off the link once she finished her sentence. No questions were asked from the person receiving the quavering order.

The white cloth…meant death.

Someone died. And Tina only said 'He', so what would that exactly mean?

Didn't they have the Princess of Thieves yet?

…And what about Nick…He was dead?

After the others had come, and enveloped the bleeding Nick under the ghostly white cloth, promising a death under it, they took him back in a coal black limo.

Tina knew who had done it, and she that Tim knew as well…it was Pin. He had killed Nick, but now one remaining question circled in both their heads, 'Where was Kori?'

Tim stood at the edge of the building the wind ruffling his sandy blond hair, eyes reflecting the vibrant moon. He sneaked a glare at it above his home.

Why was it so cheerful. Did the moon not know what had co inspired here?

Did it still think that everything was going to be parties and celebrations?

Why was it winking and shining in such a happy mood, like they had accomplished something?

Tim would usually would love the moon at its finest hour. But not that day. That day everything seemed to fall into pieces. All of sudden Tim thought of Kori. She loved the moon. She would love it now too…

_Kori._

They had tracked down her communicator…along with the rest of her thieve clothes.

Tina had assumed the worst.

But Tim knew Kori wasn't that weak to stop a predator, she had run away.

Tina wouldn't have it. She said something or someone had happened to her, for Kori was too noble to run away.

No…not the Princess of Thieves.

No not ever her.

But…she did…she broke the noble seal, and ran away.

There was a rule in the Royal Thieves, and there were quite of few of them, but the most heaviest of them all, was the one were you dedicate yourself to the Royal Thieves, as a life long career. When you hit your 13th birthday, you were automatically able to make the few important decisions on your own. And the most important decision was what path were you going to choose.

Were you gong to stay as a Royal Thief, or decide to go to a home.

It would be one of the hardest decisions that probably anyone would have to go through in the Royal Mansion, but still it had to be done.

If they were to choose to go to a loving home: One of the royal thieves would become their agent and get they adopted into a normal home. It was a perfect system, and most of the Royal Thieves missed having a normal home family, and perhaps even some of them have never had a home and wanted to know what it was like. They were grateful for their time in the Royal Thieves and most of all grateful that they were finally gong to have a normal home.

Some of them, though, decided that it was either too late for them to join a new family, or enjoyed their life right now too much, and stayed as a Royal Thief.

Kori was one of the few who had decided to be a Royal Thief, saying that her adaptation to having a family outside from the one she had come to love right now, was too much she couldn't handle.

And Tina was glad that she chosen to stay, for she knew of the life Kori had before she fell into her hands, and felt deeply remorseful for the strange girl.

And there was also the fact that she had strange powers that only she had. Of course both Tim and Nicholas could also fly, (but that's another story) but neither had the ability to shoot emerald orbs from their hands.

So in Tina's opinion, Kori was safer with them.

But that one rule stated that with either side you chose you could never go back on it. Kori couldn't just leave the Royal Thieves.

Or at least not just like that, the way she had done.

They had found Kori's suit on top of the statue of liberty. Neatly folded, Tina remembered.

Just the way Kori would do, as if a secret signal that she was all right, and she wasn't coming back.

Tim had apparently caught it, but not Tina. She had already lost one son; she wouldn't lose a daughter too.

It was too much her poor heart could take. But she was strong and she pulled through once she had found out that her Kori was safe in the arms of a team.

A new home.

And although she could see Tim sigh in relief, she could tell he was somewhat disgusted.

She had joined the Teen Titans.

Tina had heard of them on the news a few times.

_A few._

Signaling that they weren't all that good. Tina saw more of them on the T.V. and even in magazines, after they had supposedly recruited a new member.

_Starfire._

Tina was confused at that point. Almost to the point of furious.

Angry.

Kori had left without a word, right after, or maybe during, Nicholas left. Leaving all she knew, and all the people who had risen, taught, and loved her. Striped herself from her own _name _and become a _super hero._

She could understand why Tim would not stand hearing the word Starfire or Kori. For Tina also felt that way at times. After a year and half had passed, Nicholas's death slowly evaporated. But Kori's betrayal, for some reason never left Tim. He still could not stand the thought of her, or the name of her. He would turn on anyone who spoke her name and took his job much more seriously.

* * *

They had a ceremony after Nicholas's death. He was placed in a pearly white coffin made of precious stone, and his letters engraved on the front. It was held in a private cemetery, next to miles of flowered fields that only the Royal Thieves knew about. All the new recruits and old recruits were there. All dressed in honorable yet depressed black.

Among them stood in respectable silence, Max, Melissa, and Bobby.

They had just joined a few days ago, and were still confused on everything that had happened. Questions swirled in their heads, for they were only children. Max seemed to understand the most, but the others, especially Bobby, were troubled.

_Where was Nicholas?_

_What happened to him?_

_Was he dead?_

_Who's in the big what thing?_

Tina gave a loving speech that would forever be remembered in the hearts of all who knew Nicholas.

Tim…he wanted to say something.

_Wanted_ being the main word. But he didn't. He wanted to say what a great person Nicholas was. What he meant to him. How he was stupid for getting himself shot and leaving Tim all alone.

Why Tim never said something, not even Tina couldn't understand. Maybe it was because Kori was not there?

"Say something Timothy!" Tina whispered hurriedly to him.

Tim just faced the clean fertile grass, letting his bangs hide his features.

Tina clenched her fists.

"He is you brother!" She tried to get through to him. Anything. He _had_ to say something. He was the only real family member living. They were brothers.

Tim finally dared look back at her. His eyes clearly showing anger and sadness mixed into a deep type of sorrow, only he could muster up.

"_Was._" He corrected. "_Was_ my brother. He's dead." Tim convinced himself.

Tina's eyes widened and she didn't know what to do. When reguraly she knew everything, how to do it, when to do it, and why she was doing it. This was different. What was she supposed to tell Timothy?

Tell him everything would be all right, when it was clear that everything was just starting to fall apart. She didn't say anything more. She let him choose his own regrets, and aloud them to follow all the way home.

Why didn't he say something?

No one would know.

* * *

But Tim stayed silent for many days, neither speaking nor moving.

He just sat there. On his wooden chair, in his dark room…and died.

That was they way Tina saw it. The Tim she had known died along with Nicholas, and Kori.

All three died that night. And the morning after.

It wasn't until they had found out about Starfire being Kori that he actually moved a bit, and came out of his room to check things out about her.

Tina was both relived about Tim moving, and Kori being safe.

From them on, Tina wouldn't allow him to go back to being part of the dead, and sulk in his pitiful sadness.

She gave him work, and lots of it.

She was still worried about sending anyone out on the field again because of what had happened with Nick, but he had to do something.

And why not do what he does best?

So she sent him out, on random, difficult missions. It was time for Tim to be reborn.

And he followed orders as asked, no longer being the one to break the rules and detour around other things, as he was known for.

Although he was late countless times. It puzzled her, because when she tried to reach him those times he was late, her link with him was turned off. She began to frit and worry, but then he always came back.

Always. Safe.

But soon Tina began to notice…he was drunk.

He came back home wasted. Breathe smelling of that fowl odor, named beer. Hair in a wild mess, and his footing a bit off, even sometimes he forgot he had a million dollar diamond on him or something close to it.

Tina was frustrated.

He was finally moving. Doing things correctly. _And then he goes off to drink, he's only a child!_, Tina thought, _Barely 17 and he's probably hooked on liquor_.

The confrontation she had with him wasn't pretty. To say it was rather ugly, would be a widely disapproved understatement. It was beyond that.

They were yelling and shouting, screaming and hurting. And then it ended with the five must painful words Tim could ever tell his mentor.

"You are _not _my mother!"

Tina looked at him wide eyed. And even Tim knew he had done something wrong that time.

Her eyes turned to glass again, and her hands shook a bit.

But Tim had too much stubborn pride in himself to admit it out loud. He had slammed the door on his way out, and left two little boys named Bobby and Max crying.

They were for different reasons though. Totally different reasons.

Right before he had told Tina that rude statement, he had said something just as hurtful to Max.

For you see, before, Max was still the mischievous little boy, but he had held that side of him where he saw Tim as his older brother. Just as Bobby saw him.

But when Max had the bravery to say it out loud, Tim had shot him down.

* * *

Max was hiding behind the door, eyes wide and ears alert. The screaming and yelling was pounding through his ears.

Why was Tim shouting at Tina? He isn't suppose to do that. Maybe he could set Tim right. He dashed in. He should have stayed behind the door.

"Stop! You're my brother! You're not supposed to be shouting at Tina!"

Tim looked at him with bloodshot eyes, that Max didn't recognize. His lips twisted into a disgusted snarl, but Max didn't back away.

He held his place, no matter how much taller Tim was.

Tina had to stop whatever was going to happen here.

_She had to._

But she was too late.

"You will _never_ be my brother." He whispered harshly. But Max didn't know the reason behind him saying that.

He kept pushing Tim.

"Maybe not by blood, but you love me!" Max yelled, almost as if trying to persuade him.

But Tim was just as stubborn as Max, and he wouldn't budge.

"I don't love you. I never did. You're just, a low petty thief who was found wandering the streets." His breath stained the air Max was surrounded by, his face inching closer to the young boy's.

Tina was almost too tears…_she had to stop this. _Tim wanted to stop himself as well…but he didn't.

Max shook his head, trying his hardest to shake the words from his head.

"You do _so _love me!" Tears now caked his face, streaming down as his eyes squinted a bit to regain focus from the blurry vision.

Tim was gone. He was replaced with a mindless drinking bastard who didn't think before he said anything.

"No. I _don't."_ Tim continued to whisper in that monstrous voice, no one knew.

Max ran across the marbled floor to Tina, grabbing onto her laced shirt and looked up at her, stomping his foot to prove his point.

"Tell him! Tell him Tina! Tell him that he does to love me!" Max was so innocent…so young…Tina crouched down to his level, and then looked over at Tim with the most pleading eyes.

She was asking for him to take it back. Say he was sorry and he did love the boy.

She was begging.

But he would never abide to her requests. Tim looked away, no longer being able to stand the look on either of their faces.

Max was broken hearted…his tears stopped almost automatically and back away.

Could he not even trust Tina any longer?

Tina realized her mistake and stretched out her arms to embrace the young child.

But it was too late.

Why didn't she do something?

Why didn't she stop it?

Because she had too much trust in Tim to think he would regain his senses and stop himself.

Max continued to step back, and looked at Tina with sorrow filed eyes, a glint of hate growing into a tremendous fire, that only Tim could put out.

But he didn't.

No one did anything.

Tina stood up and gave Tim a disgraceful, disgusted glare that sent a shiver through his spine.

What had he done?

Max looked back at Tim for a moment. He was his hero. His savior. His teacher….

His brother…but now…Max glared at him with the most hateful eyes, any boy his age could give…now he was just competition.

Before Tim could do something…anything…Max dodged their worried looks and made a run for his room.

Tim sucked in a tank of air, and Tina spoke.

"How dare you." She breathed through her teeth.

She wanted to slap him. Punch him. Force him to see his mistake.

He took interest in the glassy marble below his feet, and pretended not to hear her.

She took a few steps closer, actually debating weather to hurt him or not.

Would it be considered abuse?

Would she be hitting another child that was not hers and someone else's to harm when needed to be punished?

But her body didn't obey her, and her mind didn't listen.

To her he was her son, and she was his mother.

Tim couldn't stand the hateful silence, and spoke.

"Dare what?" He said with a drunken attitude.

She shook with rage.

**Too much.**

It was _too _much.

She raised the back of her hand and before he could stop her, she stroked down on him.

Even he didn't see this coming. He almost completely fell back, his right hand holding his right cheek. Holding it there, to see if the pain was real.

He deserved it. And he knew it.

"You will not speak to me in such way." Tina stated and then she made the mistake, "What you just did is unforgivable. I am your mother, you will not disrespect me."

Tim found his comeback, and the word mother sent him flying back to his old memories.

Memories of a woman. An older woman, whom he had called 'Mom'…

He pointed an insulting finger at her.

"You are _not _my mother." He whispered venomously…Tina froze.

The only thing she remembered hearing was the slam of the double doors, and the crying wail of a small Bobby…

For weeks Tim did not return, and Tina became too worried for own good.

She tried her best to speak to Max, but he would just brush her off, and take extra duty to relive his stress.

_I am no longer a little boy_, he had told her, _give me more work_.

She knew the work he asked for was too much his body could stand, but she gave it to him anyway.

Bobby cried…his tears seemed almost endless, but Max was always there to shut him up.

Max became a grown up before Tina could stop him.

Mellisa sometimes comforted Bobby, she stated it was only because he looked so pitiful, but Tina knew that wasn't the truth.

Mellisa saw Bobby as her friend, so she helped him. Mellisa also put Max in place. The three became closer. They never left each others side, and as much as Max tried to dispatch himself, Mellisa would reel him back in, forcing him to stay.

But no matter what they did…or what they said. One question would often thread its way back into their thoughts, either for negative reasons, or positive.

What happened to Tim?

* * *

(A/N: I know I shouldn't put these in the middle of the story, but here's the part where your going to see another side of Tim some of you might not exactly like. You might have to be a bit mature to understand what's going to happen here. Or rather what didn't happen. Don't hate me.)

Tim roamed the dark streets. Noises swirling in his head.

Honks…beeps. Shouts…screams.

_God._

Tim held his head with one hand, his right cheek with the other. Looking rather comic, if only anyone had known the truth.

What had he said?

What had he done?

Why was this happening?

Why did Nick die?

………Where was Kori?

Although Tim knew exactly where she was.

She was at some god forsaken 'T-Tower.'

A building shaped in a damned T. 'It suits her.' He thought, 'She was always up for the strange and bizarre.'

He almost even grinned, before wincing once again at the non-stopping ache in his head.

What was hurting so much?

Why did Tina slap him?

He asked the questions even if he knew the answers.

He groaned.

And why in hell did his head hurt so badly!

He walked right by a speeding car, and made his way to a stable brick wall. His footing was still at loss, and his sight was all blurry. He felt so light though. Like he could just jump up a roof and fly.

He smirked an obvious smile.

Of course he would. He _could _fly.

But he couldn't. He couldn't just fly. He needed to feel flight. It wasn't like Kori's power, that one had to feel happy to fly. But it was close enough to the point so when he was drunk, he couldn't _feel _anything.

Tim attempted to steady himself on the wall to the left of him. His shoulder sloping to an angle so he could readjust himself.

But he failed in doing that as well. It was as though he was failing at everything he tried to do right. He couldn't protect Nick.

He couldn't protect Kori.

He couldn't stop himself from saying what he said to Max…Tina.

_Max_…Tim groaned once again, slamming his forehead onto the bricked cement.

He felt sticky trickles of red liquid slide down his forehead, but accepted it.

He deserved it.

And for a moment, it even relived the pain from his head. But only for a moment.

Soon enough it came back, and he couldn't even think of his mistakes anymore.

No matter how drunk he was, and no matter how far his thoughts were at that moment. His thieving senses were at all time alert, and his ears found focus on something he took into strange interest.

Steps. Of a person.

But not just any steps. Tim listened closer.

They were more like shallow clicks, only made from the high heel of a woman's footwear.

Tim hid himself in the shadows.

_What was he doing?_

The clicking came closer, and he found himself in a mode of silent protest.

_What the hell was he doing?_

The only thing his mind could progress was that there was a woman heading his way.

A _woman._

He peeked out of the dark corner, not visible to the human eye. She was slender.

Tall, long creamy legs stretching to a point where his drunken mind made it seem endless.

Her hair was pitch black, and the way she was carrying herself, she seemed lost.

Almost afraid.

Fear…he breathed it in, even if he couldn't smell it.

Who was she afraid of?

There was no body here.

No one.

Perhaps that's what scared her. That no one was there.

Strange.

She would be scared if someone wasn't there. And petrified if someone was.

Tim almost sighed, why don't these bitches just make up their minds.

Almost.

He couldn't blow his cover. But then again his mind thought, his cover for what? He wasn't robbing anything. He wasn't exactly on a mission. He was just hiding…waiting.

For what?

Why did it matter?

He made himself seem like one with the shadows, and seeped into a fearful darkness.

She was coming closer.

Some much closer.

He could almost smell her perfume.

Before he knew what he was dong…he had a frightened body squirming and slammed in front of him, placed between the damned brick wall and him.

His breath grazed over her now pale complexion. Or maybe he did know what he was doing. Is that what he wanted? What he _needed?_

One hand covered her mouth, another holding her wrists above her head.

He could do this. No one would know. No one would care.

There was even a chance where it would make it all go away. He almost hoped it wouldn't though. A side of him didn't want to do this. Didn't want to take the girl in front of him. Shivering in fear.

His mind was in a tangled mess.

He needed to relive himself from all the stress, and stealing was already clear that it wasn't an option.

Especially in his drunken state, but to revert to _this_.

Once again, he inwardly groaned.

He opened his stressed out eyes to look into her fearful gray ones.

She was so scared.

All of a sudden he was thrown into that world again. The world of roaming memories that he wished would stay locked forever. A long time ago, when he was nothing but a scared little boy. When did they decide to come out?

'_I am your mother, you will not disrespect me.' _The voice along with the image of the woman echoed through his head.

'_You are _not_ my mother.' _

He winced. Why had he said that?

For a second he had almost forgotten the girl he was deadly holding.

She tried to raise her knee to kick him…hurt him in any way. She just wanted to get out.

She brought him back to the real world, and he debated on weather going through with this or not.

She was looking for it. Wasn't she?

Damn girl walking on the New York Street, with nothing but a skirt and a tank top, covered with a jacket.

The jacket long since fallen.

Laying forgotten on the public sidewalk.

Especially at this hour. Was she purposely trying to get herself raped?

Trying to get herself violated?

Seriously, with all the movies and documentaries, and the news they have today, shouldn't she know better?

Tim half-heartedly agreed with himself. She needed to learn the hard way.

He had long since grabbed his dagger, the threatening blade hanging along with her quivering for release wrists.

He expertly grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her back. Pushing himself deeper onto her, so that now there was absolutely no space in between them. Her hands securely trapped behind her, her own body being the one who was shielding her from escape.

Tears cascaded down her face, and she winced to brush them away, her bangs lying with panicked sweat on her forehead.

Her hurried breathes moistening the inside of his palm, and he almost didn't want to take his hand away.

It felt so warm.

When he in turn felt so cold.

The dagger inched its way closer to her tank top string, and he could hear her muffled cry for mercy as he neatly ripped it off its support.

The thin strip streamed down her collarbone, and he had the sudden urgency to kiss it.

But he denied himself of that pleasure.

He once again noticed her quaking, and her tears becoming fiercer.

He almost grinned, he hadn't even started and she was so scared.

Was he that intimidating, or was it that fact that she was helpless under his lustful state?

His body sided with the first one, although his mind already answered for the second.

The point of his dagger folded the bit of cloth that came loose and made it so that he could see more of her luscious bosom and strapless bra.

Her legs were now jostling each and every way. He dodged her kicks expertly, although they were rather pathetic.

He repeated the same act with the other thin strap, and he could now she her bra only, her tan top pooling by her abdomen, only being held because of the back being pressed by wall.

He tucked his dagger in a reachable spot in his jacket, and lightly touched her wet cheek, trailing it down to her neck, and lower still to the edge of her bra.

She visibly winced at his touch, and thrashed even harder when she felt his index finger slowly begin to slip into her only cover for her upper body.

But then he suddenly stopped, and she looked forward, hoping he was gone.

Praying he was gone.

But he wasn't.

He was just staring at her. His bloodshot eyes gazing into her tear filled gray ones…almost pleading for her to help him.

She almost found herself feeling sorry for him.

But quickly snapped back into reality.

He was going to violate her.

Why the hell would she feel sorry for the bastard.

Suddenly she felt a light brush of lips against hers, and she never even noticed that he had taken his hand away.

She wanted to bite his lips for even thinking about touching hers.

But she couldn't find it in herself to do it.

But why?

Was she that weak.

He had released his push on her, his weight finally lifting off hers, and chucked her jacket into her hands.

It was almost a silent command for her to put it on again.

_What the hell was he doing?_

She couldn't find her voice and without a word slipped the jacket back on, hugging herself tightly with both arms. Then wringing her pained wrists from the heavy pressure of it being pressed against a wall.

He didn't look back at her. He rubbed his temples with his thumbs, and almost looked regretful.

She just stood there.

He knew her presence was still there. Why wouldn't she go? Why wouldn't she leave? It's what she wanted right? She couldn't move though…was she scared?

Did she expect him to do something with her? He was gong to…there be no debate on that. But he would feel nothing. Just like he was feeling right now.

Empty.

Nothing.

He glanced back at her. She was pretty. Too pretty to be out at this time…he sighed.

"Come one. I'll take you home."

* * *

Omg…I shouldn't have left it there…but that's probably going to be the end with these memories, I have too much of them. Don't u think?

Lol…okat well that showed you what happened after Kori left, and Nick died.

And now you know that Nick and Tim are brothers…I was going to explain why they could fly, but I'll do that in another chapter.

I have to go so couldn't rap things up too much, but let me just say thank you for your reviews and support! Well…bye…ask questions and I just might be willing to answer them!

Bye

Your one-n-only,

Princess Lali of both Spain and England

P.S: don't hate Tim that much, he gets better. I promise. He really is a nice guy. He was just…drunk.

Perhaps it was because she was living in the enormous home that she was surprised at the jaw dropping results from her guests. Or maybe just because she didn't think that her home was as big as it should be and the fact that someone thought it was bigger than anything they've ever seen, puzzled her.

Tina chuckled at the reactions of her guests. For a moment they were drained from all color and looking very comically like strange statues.

Well, all except for Starfire. Or Kori as Tina liked to call her. Starfire was name made after her sudden _disappearance_, or now known as the sudden '_departure_'.


	10. Chapter 10 Box

**A/N: OOO…I updated…everyone go ooo ahhhh…lol just kidding…now here's another chapter. I should really start updating my other story, but I had the sudden urgency to write another chapter for this one believe or not. So for those of you who like this story…smile and be happy. This is honestly not one of my favorite chapters, but than again, I hate must of my chapters, only because I prolong the story too much don't I? And even I have to say it's a bit annoying. Well lets get one with the story…this chapter will just state in like a sentence why the Royal Thieves need help in stealing what they need to steal.

* * *

**

**Box**

She knew it.

She knew that the minute she would step through those doors, all the memories would come flooding in.

All of them. Including some of which she did not want to recall. Starfire looked over to Robin. Just to catch a glimpse of him. See what he had to say about the whole thing. A part of her really wanted to ask him. You know…just out of curiosity. But the more dominant side of her brain, decided against, in fact it even tried to push the thought out of her head and was afraid of Robin finding out more.

Oh dear, what would he say?

What would he do?

Starfire didn't want to put anymore thought into it, and continued to walk past Tina into the overly enormous mansion.

She stopped for a second, allowing it all to seep in.

The marbled floors. Equally marbled stairs, and banister. Starfire almost chuckled at the memory of Tina explaining her love for the wonderful marble. The large ceiling to floor glass windows. Wide spread out lashing ruby red carpet, almost looking like real genuine fur. But Starfire knew better, Tina loved animals almost as much Beastboy. Dozens, to dozens white painted doors, leading to different unexpected locations. One of the double doors on the far end of the opposite wall crafted with clear crystal, allowing the beautiful gardened felids to fill the house with beauty, yet wisdom. And lighting the whole place, placed over their heads, a crystal chandelier, hundreds of jewels hanging down form it, a never burning out fire in the center, causing a chain reaction for all the other candles to light up.

Flawless.

Everything was entirely perfect…Starfire smiled a bit. Just as she had remembered it.

Tim peered over at Starfire and caught her smile. What was she smiling about?

He almost grinned himself, but the thought of having Kori back in the house they had grown up together, had also brought back unwanted memories. The ones focusing on what had happened years ago, at this very entrance.

He sighed.

Better not think about that right now.

The rest of the Titans filed into the mansion in an almost hurriedly fashion. Eager to see the interior of the living quarters.

Well Beastboy and Cyborg were, Raven tried her best not to seem interested, but even she had to say, it was pretty amazing.

Robin…it seemed as though he felt a little out of place to say the least.

It all happened so fast.

Star was having some problems, she showed him some rare moves, some jerk comes and states he knew her, and she knew him, and now they were coming back to some home she used to live in.

Deep in the back of his mind, he was awing at it all. But to hide it, he placed an emotionless mask that only Starfire could decode.

If given the time.

Both Cyborg and Beastboy held back the urge to make unnecessary noises, in effect of allowing their eyes to have seen the sight before them.

To say the least…they were fascinated.

Raven for a moment felt her eyes widen, but as soon as it had happened, she pulled her hood over her head and gave a few seconds to get her mind back in peace.

The place was huge.

Robin was a bit more in control than the others. For he himself had lived in a mansion for a quite a while, although living under the same roof as a certain Bat, didn't quite qualify on the lists.

But still…he had lived in a place that was said to be overly large, and even if this mansion made no comparison in greatness to his old one, his mind was set on staying in normalcy. Although he did for a moment pale.

The place was _huge._ **(a/n: Am aware I placed that twice.)**

Tina looked over at her guests in amusement. She had not had guests in such a long time; it almost seemed to give her some sort of pride in her home to have such an effect on them.

But she was still surprised.

Perhaps it was because she was living in the enormous home that she was taken aback at the jaw dropping results from her guests. Or maybe just because she didn't think that her home was as big as it should be and the fact that someone thought it was bigger than anything they've ever seen, puzzled her.

Tina chuckled at the reactions of her guests. For a moment they were drained from all color and looking very comically like strange statues.

Well, all except for Starfire. Or Kori as Tina liked to call her. Starfire was the name made after her sudden _disappearance_, or now known as the sudden '_departure_'.

Tina almost frowned. Why even bring those things up?

She had the sudden urge to slap herself.

Did she want to cry again? Did she truly want to see all the images of the past boil up in her mind?

She unciously shook her head, and Starfire looked over at her with concern.

"Is something troubling you dear Tina?" Starfire carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.

Tina grasped the young alien's hand and gave it a light squeeze, maybe just to make sure she was real.

She was there.

Unlike all the other times Tina had went to squeeze that invisible hand that wasn't there.

She smiled at Starfire.

Starfire gave a warming smile back, but Tina saw through that smile, and went seeped in deeper.

Something was troubling Kori.

There she went again…using her old name.

But it wasn't really ever old. Just not used.

There was a comfortable silence that was so relaxing, it forced you to see everything that made this mansion 'Royal.'

The nice silence was soon to be interrupted by the light footsteps of children.

Before another word could be spoken a boy and a girl, whom looked awfully familiar to the Titans, came barging in.

Mellisa stood still staring at the Titans to see if it were true.

Max, fixed glare on his face with grimace also looked onto the Titans.

Another silence dropped over them, only this time the silence was more of an unsettling one.

No one was sure of what to say.

But then again, why say anything at all?

Robin scanned over the two children, looking at them for a second before remembering they were the ones who he was talking to on top of the T tower.

Only they were in normal clothes.

Raven glanced at the young girl, and the boy. To be honest, she wasn't sure what to say. 'Hello' maybe.

But she didn't know if that was formal or not. Or maybe it was just the fact she didn't want to talk, instead look for the library that was noticeably going to be here.

Cyborg and Beastboy both looked at their leader for direction.

And Starfire simply gave a warm smile to the new incomers.

"I'd like to welcome Max the leader of the Junior division, and Mellisa, second in command for also the Junior division. Children, these are the Teen Titans. You've heard of them, have you not?" Tina introduced and questioned.

Now it was Mellisa's time to scowl.

Oh she had heard of these guys. No one liked them, even Tina. So why was she acting so kindly to them? Why was she allowing them into her, no, _their_ home?

Max couldn't hold it inside of him. He needed to spite somebody. Anybody.

It became his nature somewhere around when he had turned seven.

He wanted to say something to Tim. Get him angered, but he knew the line was not to be crossed.

Tim had warned him, and he didn't want to cause another scene.

The line was even more of a rule with Tina.

But Max was never one for rules.

"_Yes._" Max said with venom leaking out in every word. "I've heard of them. But what are they doing in our house?"

He was about to add more, but felt something pull at his sleeve and saw Mellisa giving him a stern look.

He knew she too wanted to say something. She was probably just as disgusted with the Titans as he was.

But she had a bit more control than he could hold and didn't open her mouth. Max read the message, and stood firm.

Not seconds later, did once again the light footsteps of another child ring into their ears.

Along with the occasional "Guys? Guys! Mellisa! Max!"

Tim grinned lightly.

Mellisa rolled her eyes visibly, and Max sighed.

Soon enough the heavy panting of a boy caught everyone's attention. But not before all the papers he had been holding slipped out of his balance and he came crashing down onto the fuzzy carpet, spreading the papers even furder.

The boy peered up to see the full audience of the Titans, Tina and…

Bobby gulped.

Tim.

He hurriedly raised himself up and in a salute formal way bowed in front of Tina, as if she was some real royalty.

"Forgive me Tina, they just fell and-" He was stopped by her hand.

"It's fine Bobby, just make sure it all gets picked up and get the two statues over there to help you." She motioned to the still seemingly frozen Max and Mellisa.

Bobby let a grin cover his face in an apologetic way, and made a move to pick all the papers up.

Mellisa hurried over to Bobby, bending down to let her short hair cover her eyes, and picked up the mess of papers along with Bobby.

It took Max a whole 10seconds to realize that Tina was gesturing to him, and sighed before he as well walked over and picked up papers with his teammates.

Tina nodded, almost in a proud leader way, and directed her guests to another room. Before they had all filed out of the entry room, Max sent a harsh glare over to Tim. Tim wanted to wince. Wanted to explain himself to Max.

Say he was sorry.

Tell him…that he _was_ his brother. He sighed.

But why? What would it do? It wouldn't make him act like Bobby again or the old Max again, wouldn't see him as a hero again…as a brother.

So why even bother?

Tim followed in the back, behind Robin.

Raven was behind Starfire, Beastboy behind her, and Cyborg behind him.

Starfire almost felt a bit scared. The memories this place was bringing was almost too much to stand, and she needed someone to be there for her.

Not that Raven wasn't a great friend or anything…but she needed something more.

Robin…Tim…_Nick..._

Sometimes Starfire felt selfish.

_Too_ selfish for her tastes.

Here was a perfectly nice friend and she wanted more.

She felt disgusted with herself. She took a look over her shoulder at Raven.

The telepath, still with her trademark hood over her haed was scanning the perimeter. Almost as if looking for something.

A library perhaps? Raven for a mere second caught Starfire's stare, but otherwise didn't seem to have noticed.

Continuing to scan the area.

Starfire felt her shoulders slump.

She then looked in front of her to meet Tina's back, and even more weight to fall on her back.

Why did she all of a sudden feel all alone?

Raven kept her eyes roaming the rooms.

'_There has to be one._' She kept thinking.

Her eyes being the only thing visible underneath her hood. She felt at ease with her hood on.

Totally untouchable.

Her hair was most likely going to be messed up again once she pulled it back down, but she didn't care.

She never did.

Her cape made her seem out of the ordinary, or completely ordinary at the same time.

It was strange, yet normal.

Raven kept her body walking in a straight line as her head moved from side to side, or at least her eyes seemed to.

She saw the alien princess glance at her, looking at her with an almost pleading look.

What did she want from her?

Did she expect her to just go up and hug her?

Hold her?

Raven almost chuckled.

She was _Raven._

All she could do is go on as if it had never happened and continue to focus her mind on other things.

She knew Starfire was probably going through something.

Something only she could be possibly going through at the moment.

Something that was hard to deal with. But what could she seriously do?

She actually thought about it for a second before throwing it out the door, and mentally slapping herself for even thinking upon it.

Then another thought hit her.

'_She is your _friend.'

Raven then suddenly stared at the beautifully marbled floor, a few swirls going here and there in the crafty design.

Her hood fell even lower and she felt herself sinking deeper into her small little cave.

Hiding.

Into strange, and ordinary once again.

She was strange because it wasn't normal for one to do that, yet she seemed ordinary because you couldn't see her face.

Her boots graced the floor with a peaceful ease, making it seem even a louder silence than before.

Raven felt shameful.

Starfire was her _friend._ How could she just look away and act like nothing had happened.

Suddenly Raven felt like her hood. That damned hood.

She wasn't a friend if she did nothing, yet if she did do something she wasn't…_Raven._

All the saliva in her mouth then formed a nasty taste on her tongue and felt the urge to spit.

Spit all the nasty stuff that was for some reason accumulating at the back of her throat.

She rubbed her tongue underneath of one of her molars; unintentionally thinking it would erase the taste.

She needed to say something.

Do something.

She was her teammate.

Her partner.

Her _friend_.

Raven closed her eyes for a second. Deep in thought, having a mental fight with herself. Now with her father gone, she could more easily learn to show enormous bounds of emotion without the fear of destroying something.

But it was still some getting used to, and to go as far as comfort a friend who knew most of her secrets, it was forming a headache.

The taste would still not go away.

She needed a sink.

She needed time to think.

…She needed a book.

Raven looked up from her dark cave, noticing that they had stopped and she was standing still behind Robin.

'_How did I end up behind Robin?'_

Raven sighed.

Where was that damned library when you needed one?

* * *

Tina took a nice cushioned seat in her office.

She had leaded everybody into it, and had sent a maid to get some extra chairs.

Tina smiled.

Their _only _maid.

Many times had Tina tried to bring in new maids, but not only was trust a major problem, but so was the fact that her little thieves could be quite troublesome.

Always playing pranks on the butlers and maids.

Nannies, and gardeners.

Even the security guards.

All of them (except for the security guards.) had left Tina all alone to deal with them for herself.

She was just about to give up, when that lady opens the doors, somewhere around her mid thirties, takes a seat in front of Tina, without even her invitation, let her add, and says, "_I don't want to ask, I probably don't even want to know. But I need money, and-"_ the lady pulls out an ad that asks for a maid, (paid handsomely of course) "_it says here you're the one to give it to me."_ Her accent heavy with old English.

Tina quirked an eyebrow and asked if she had any experience.

The lady shook her head, signaling a no.

Again Tina asked if she had ever picked roses, or watered gardens, did beds, or cooked meals.

The lady once again shook her head.

Tina looked critical at lady, was this some kind of joke?

Then Tina decided to ask one more question.

"_Do you like children, and can you handle them?_"

The lady smiled a toothy grin, _"I love children, but I will not stand for misbehavior, and I can take care of them with my eyes closed."_

The young mentor returned her smile, "_Then you have the job_."

That was almost twenty years ago, now she still ripe in her old age, and kept the order in the house.

Along with the cleaning and the cooking.

Although, Tina had noticed, she hardly did neither, ordering the children to clean their rooms for themselves, learn to wash the dishes, mop the floors, dust the counters, and so on and so fourth when they had dirtied it.

But before Tina could protest, she learned that all children needed responsibilities and chores.

So she let it past.

And not only that, but the woman seemed to be there whenever you needed her, almost like a second mother to the children, and even a mother to Tina herself.

Even to Starfire, who the second she saw her old maid, flew over to her and gave her a hug strong enough to snap her poor old back. The maid patted the happy alien girl and asked for Starfire to turn around for her, to get a better look of the young girl.

They had shared their 'I missed you's' and then the maid left to tend to the chairs.

Soon enough the maid came back in holding two extra chairs, one on top of her head, the other with her free hand.

Looking comically silly, almost resembling a circus seal.

But what was found even funnier perhaps was the fact that she looked like a grandmother and was holding everything like she was twenty again.

Cyborg instantly made a move to help her, but before he could even take a heavy step forward, she had situated the seats on the floor already, waving him with a hand to sit him back down.

"Are you all right?" He asked still a bit worried, yet a hint of surprise in his voice.

The lady just shook her head in a reassuring way, and opened her mouth to speak.

"When you've lived in house as big as this, with children as wild as him." She said pointing at Tim. "This is the easiest thing in the world."

Tina giggled lightly, as so did Starfire.

Cyborg gave a funny smile, and Beastboy sat sulking, not understanding what the old lady meant.

"What's that supposed to mean you old hag?" Tim asked quite rudely.

Tina gave him a sinister look, and Starfire glared at him as well.

The others looking at him like he had just taken a lolly pop from a child.

The old maid just put a beginning to wrinkle hand to her narrow hip, and pursed her lips.

"It means, you're more than a handful, _young _child." She said emphasizing the word 'young' knowing he hated being called a child as well.

"I'm no child." He defended childishly.

Starfire and Tina, along with Cyborg were now all smiling at Tim's stubbornness.

"Timothy, how old are you?" The maid questioned.

Tim took sudden interest in the wall a few feet beside him. He knew where this was going, and the adding of his original name wasn't at all helping.

"…"

"_Timothy_…?" She coaxed in an almost too motherly way.

He let out a deep sigh, not even bothering to hide it.

"Eighteen…" He muttered.

The maid nodded her head.

"And how old am I?" She asked once again.

The smiles were now unruly laughter.

"Fifth…Fifty-six." He hesitated, almost as if prolonging his death.

She smiled and nodded, starting to head out of the joyful room, glad she had somehow brought some of it, being too bizarrely quiet the last time she was in there.

"So who is the child?" She asked before stepping out of the door.

Tim grinded his teeth together.

"I…am." He muffled under his breath.

The maid pretended to strain to hear.

"Sorry, what was that?"

Tina decided to join in on the fun and also asked.

"Yes _Timothy _what did you say? I could not hear _Timothy, _could you hear _Timothy, _Kori?" She asked Starfire.

Starfire didn't noticed what she had called her, and was glad to be in on the game.

"No I did not hear _Timothy._ Would you please speak louder _Timothy?" _

She then burst into unattained giggles.

Tim hated that name, just as much as he hated Timmy.

"I said…I am…"

"You are what _Timothy_?" They all asked in union.

They were now getting annoying. Calling him Timothy on purpose.

"I am… I AM THE DAMN CHILD!" He practically yelled.

Now everyone was laughing and smiling, even Raven, though she hid it under her hood, and Robin seemed obviously happy for some reason that they were targeting his new enemy.

The maid nodded once more, and left the room filled with laughter.

Before she could get to far though, she heard her name being called and stopped to listen.

"Oh wait, Patty. Can you please make four cups of coffee, one of them dark, and two hot chocolates please?" Tina asked, through the door.

Patty smiled, and continued walking to her former destination.

"Already have." She chimed.

Her footsteps faded away, signaled that she was far off.

And judging by the size of the mansion, she wouldn't be back from the kitchen in a long time.

Raven was already seated on a chair next to Starfire, and when the mention of coffee came up she was about to interject, saying she wanted it dark, but before she could get a word out, Tina seemed to have read her mind and spoke her thoughts.

Raven for a second was flabbergasted but covered herself in her cave once again.

Her purple hood.

Oh how she loved that thing.

Or did she really love it?

…Perhaps she just felt the need to love it, for without it she would be just another weirdo?

…Raven inwardly sighed.

She thought too much

She needed a book; take her mind off of herself.

Instinctively, she turned her eyes left and right, searching for some shelves for books.

Anything.

Although she wasn't even sure if that would be proper.

After all, she hardly knew these people, and they were brought to the boss's office for another reason rather than drinking coffee.

She focused back on Tina.

First Raven wanted to know why everything was happening.

Where everything was going.

And why Starfire was pulled into all of this.

Although the way everyone was acting around her, it was becoming obvious that she knew the people more than just friends.

They were her family.

And they were thieves.

She aloud her mind to wander out of her head and seep through other minds, see what they were thinking. She knew it was wrong.

But she did it anyways.

She regained more control over her powers, and when she was as tense as this, her mind had enough power to read other people's thoughts, for a while it took out some power out of her, but that was sort of the point.

All that power was bubbling up, and becoming an annoying knot.

So she used up her power a bit to have a little…how could she put it? …Fun.

And lose that knot in her back.

Suddenly a crash of thoughts came up in a tide of confusion.

'_Why are they calling Starfire, Kori?'_

_'Why is Tim looking at Starfire like that? He better direct his eyes somewhere else, before I-'_

_'Kori looks so different from last time. Her curves have defiantly filled out more…whoa and her outfit is AWESOME…Why is bird-boy looking at Kori like that? Why does he look like he wants to kill me? He better stop staring at me…why do I have the feeling someone's in my mind?'_

_'Why are Timmy, and Robin looking at me like that? Have I done something wrong? Why are they now looking at each other like a froglaster and a ninglepolistic about to eat each other?…Oh, X'Hal.'_

_'…What did that old lady mean? What was the whole point in saying what she said? I don't get it…and is that carpet real fur? It better not be.'_

_'Man, that was a good diss for an old lady…if it was to be called one.'_

_**'Why does Raven have to put her hood up all the time? She looks prettier with it down…And why is she looking at me like that? Did I do something? Do I have a booger somewhere?'**_

Raven read the last bits of the thoughts and let her own mind seep back into herself, carrying a few left over thoughts with her by accident, not having enough time to recollect themselves, and everyone was a bit shaken up, all (except for Tina) wide eyes and looking like they had just forgotten something.

Raven was suddenly embarrassed, and pretended not to know anything.

Beastboy was seeing swirls, and had forgotten everything he was just thinking about a few seconds ago.

"Dude…"

Tina looked a bit worried that everybody was acting this way, and directed her attention to the green boy.

"What's wrong?"

"I just forgot about everything I was just thinking about."

Tina quirked any eyebrow, but was the only one to do so.

For everyone seemed to nod in agreement, and had their hands attached to their heads, in agony.

Headaches.

Tina scanned over at everyone, and noticed that Raven was the only who didn't suddenly feel affected.

Raven caught her stare, and for a moment blushed in once again embarrassment.

Had she been caught?

She pulled her hood further over her head, eliminating even her eyes from view, and slumped into the chair.

It wasn't very like herself.

And perhaps Tina knew that. For when she saw Raven like that, she looked accusingly.

Raven stayed under her hood. Then the thought of what Beastboy had said unwillingly entered her mind again.

'_She looks prettier with it down.'_

She bit her lip in distress.

She felt the sudden need to pull the hood down lower.

It wouldn't go any lower.

Damn hood.

She hated it.

* * *

After everybody had situated him or herself into normalcy, and regained some of their footing, they were all drinking their favorite drinks, which the maid had brought of course.

Raven circled the rim of her mug with a pale pinky, and waited for further speaking.

The air all of sudden turned much more harder to breathe, and Raven caught herself thinking back on her last thoughts, or rather a certain changeling's last thoughts.

She took a secret peek at him, and found herself half blushing before seeping back into her secret cave and grimacing at the fact that a warm feeling had covered her cheeks.

Then Tina cleared her throat and attentive Raven came back into place.

Time to listen.

Tim slumped back into the shadows of a nearby wall, close enough to hear Tina talking, and far enough not see Starfire's face.

He didn't want to see Starfire's face right now.

Because he wanted to see Kori's face at the moment. At first everything seemed normal…everything seemed like just a few words and Kori would be back, none of this, 'Goody goody Hero mush,' and back to who she really is.

Princess of Thieves.

But suddenly, everything became more difficult. Lots more difficult. It almost seemed impossible to get the old Kori back.

Tim now leaned all his weight on the wall in the corner. Allowing himself to listen to Tina's words.

"Now…I truly have no idea how to start, or what exactly is going on here, but form what I've heard _Starfire _is now part of the Teen Titans, correct?" She stated her obvious statement in a question and they call all tell how she emphasized the name 'Starfire.'

Tim scowled, and the others nodded.

Tina continued, "Well…I would really like Starfire to tell you the rest, but let me just say that we need her." She looked over at Starfire, "We _need _you. We can't do this without you, and we can use all the help we can get." Her last sentence being directed to the other Titans in the room.

That's where both Tim and Starfire interjected, causing everyone, even Raven, to jump.

"NO!" The shouts could be heard all throughout the mansion.

Soon you could hear the barks of over angered dogs, and Tina's stressed out sigh.

She expected this.

Tina quickly opened her small desk cabinet and took out a small type of whistle, those things could come in handy at times all though you had to make sure you knew how to use them.

She blew once, twice, and the barking had stopped.

Suddenly they all heard a sudden in take in breath, and all turned to see a very visibly wincing Beastboy, holding his elf like ears.

Raven looked worried for a second, the others looking critical.

Was he okay?

Robin then noticed the whistle in Tina's hand, and directed her attention to it as well.

"That's a dog whistle, isn't it?"

Tina's eyes went wide for a second and then back to the groaning Beastboy, who still heard the ringing in his ears.

"Oh, I'm really sorry." She apologized in a tone that anyone could tell was truly sorry.

Beastboy tried to nod, he really did, but it seemed like his head was shaking, and his ears…well those at the moment could burn off for all he'd care.

Damn dog whistles.

Tim smirked, finding it all rather amusing, and Cyborg had to stifle a laugh.

Beastboy looked funny…as he always does.

Starfire looked truly scared for her friend, and flew over to him to see his ears; for she noticed were where the pain was mostly centered.

She pushed his hands off his ears to get a better look, and then tried touching his delicate ears, just to see what his reaction would be.

Raven knew immediately that what Starfire was doing wouldn't help one bit.

But she stayed stone.

Her body forced her to stay put.

But her mind pushed her to get up and help him.

She took a sip of her coffee.

The second, no, _millisecond, _Starfire placed her fingers on his ears, he yelped a cry of pain.

Okay…maybe burning off his ears was a little to rash. Concluding that just a pinch to the ear would cause him a jolt of rushing pain.

Starfire, as if fire had erupted on Beastboy's ear, hastily jumped back.

"Beastboy? Beastboy, are you all right?" She asked her tone a bit shaky, seeing to it that she had caused her friend some sort of pain.

Robin seemed to see the worry etch over Starfire's face and stood up.

"He's fine Star. He just…well…Cyborg?" He asked giving up on what exactly was wrong with Beastboy…after all, this normally happen with dogs, and it _was _a _dog _whistle.

Cyborg looked over Beastboy once, and came up with a solution.

"It's nothing. His nerves on the ear drum just jumped to an high level, and couldn't hold so much…" Cyborg looked up for a second noticing it being awkwardly quiet, even Beastboy had stopped his complaining, all of them looking quizzically.

The half metal man irritably sighed. He knew he was getting nowhere.

"It was a really loud sound to BB, and now it won't stop ringing in his ears, so right now his ears are really sensitive, which is why it hurt when Star touched them." He tried explaining.

Starfire seemed to understand at first, but wasn't entirely paying attention, and Raven didn't feel like saying anything.

Tina nodded her head in understanding, and continued to look at Beastboy.

"Are you sure it's nothing? He seems rather pained." Tina stated, still looking worried, probably most likely because she had caused it.

Cyborg just waved his hand as if to dismiss the actual thought, and sat back down.

Soon enough, Beastboy's ears returned to their natural feeling, and although he can still not hear as well as before, the ringing had stopped, and the burning had seized.

A momentary sigh escaped him in relief.

He had really thought his ear would burn off for a second there.

Tim's grin had left him long before Beastboy had stopped yelping, but rather wandered to other things.

Robin situated himself back to Tina, as did Raven, for full attention.

Starfire instead looked to floor for a second, not sure of what to make of everything. She knew that Tina would tell them what exactly they needed help in. But it would be up to Starfire to tell the Titans…and Robin, that she was a thief once herself.

She seemed to sink lower into her chair, and for a moment she actually wanted to.

Just sink away, and not have to deal with anything….

She shook her head from the silly thoughts, and gazed back at her motherly figure. Starfire focused on Tina, and tried to search her eyes for the reason of calling her back to the Royal Mansion, and sending her out on a mission no less.

"What exactly do you need our help in?" Robin voiced her thoughts.

Time seemed to freeze, as Tina looked over at Starfire, and then at Tim.

Starfire bit her lip, and Raven sensed the sudden panic.

Then it finally hit Raven…although maybe a little to late.

They were _thieves._

Everything in the mansion was probably stolen artifact.

They were _criminals._

Robin had the thought flying over his head for the past hours, and not until now did it come down full force.

Gravity pulled it down, and his face contorted into a distasteful grimace, like he had just tasted something sour.

He put people like this in jail.

What was stopping him now?

"We need your help in getting a box." Tina began…she took a pause as if trying to get herself to continue talking.

Starfire almost looked annoyed.

A _box?_

And she wasn't afraid to speak her thoughts either.

"A box Tina? Is this the reason for my sudden calling? Could you not do this yourselves, instead of asking for my assistance-" She was silenced by Tina's lack of speech.

Starfire knew for a fact that when Tina did not talk…she did not listen.

It was pointless trying to speak to her when she wasn't even paying attention.

The annoyed alien laid her back on the front of her cushioned chair, losing all hope of detouring this mess.

OR…she could just fly away, and come back when everybody was done with the yelling and shouting.

For she knew there was going to be _something _of that category.

Shouting she could handle.

Yelling she could stand.

Fighting she could stop…

But silence…it reminded her too much of loneliness…and that she could never put up with.

To be alone…never again could she do that.

She was not meant to be kept alone.

Perhaps Raven was…no…not Raven either.

No one was meant to be kept lonely…alone.

No body there…Starfire shuddered and unintentionally hugged herself. But in a matter where it seemed like she was just crossing her arms, and so no one paid any attention to her movement.

Tina nodded her head and continued.

"As I was saying…This isn't just any ordinary ruby…Its special…_really, _special. And we need your help to get it."

"You mean steal it." Robin glared. His mask showing the scrunching of his eyes, and his mouth twisting into a terrible scowl.

Tim lightly growled, almost in a doglike way that caught Starfire's attention.

She knew something bad was going to happen…

Tim was going to open his mouth but was silenced by Tina's sudden stern look.

"Robin, Teen Titans…" She sighed almost in an attempt to soothe herself. "It's not totally what you think…" She paused again.

She needed to make them understand. She needed to get them all to help her and the others…but most of all, she needed Kori.

"I think you want our help to go steal something that's too hard for you to steal." Cyborg commented dryly, also not liking where this was going.

Raven wanted to say something as well. Maybe something sarcastic…something wise.

_Something._

She took another sip at her coffee, not noticing that there was nothing in the empty mug.

Taking in nothing but dry air, making a strangenoise that sounded like sucking in air between teeth.

Beastboy turned to look at her, and noticed she was still wearing her hood.

Why didn't she take it off?

Tina shook her hands in front of her defensively, palms facing their direction,in a way most people showed they were harmless.

Or at least it seemed that way for a moment.

"No, no, no, no," She repeated in an almost spanglish form, saying it fast enough to sound like a single no. "It's not like that…we _have _to do this."

Maybe it was her eyes.

Or maybe the way she suddenly spoke so scared, and helpless.

Perhaps even, it was the way she held herself, almost shaking.

But the protesting Titans, stopped their ranting, and then the silence came.

Starfire stared at Tina.

Something was wrong…she knew it.

"If we don't _steal_ this, then we'll lose…" her head suddenly bowed in defeat.

"We'll lose everything…and when I say lose…I mean death…people _will _die if we don't take this…_innocent civilians_." She explained.

It was safe to say now she got the Titans attention.

"Tina…"Starfire breathed noticing the waver in her voice.

"This box…it's special…we can't let the moon hit it on the twelfth day of December. If it does…well let's just say nothing _good _will come out of it. Only bad things…" She stopped.

They understood what she meant. Or at least she hoped so.

Raven finally found her voice…something wasn't normal in the way she said box.

"What type of box is this?"

Tina was gong to speak but Tim beat her to it.

"I'm sure you've heard of it…" He began, a smirk edging his features.

"_**Pandora's Box."

* * *

**_

A/N: OMG! Not as long as I wanted it to be…but oh well…sorry…really I truly am…I like long chapters and I myself can't even seem to be make them.

Did you see that one coming?

I didn't…no seriously I didn't…I originally was going to make this like about some ancient ruby…but then I decided this story was meant for twists and turns…so why not add some more! LOL…okay not funny because by now I've probably lost you…since you still don't understand how Slade fits into all this.

Because right now it makes it seem like the Royal Thieves are taking the Pandora box because if they don't some huge calamity will set loose, and people will die.

Because they _really do _care for _innocent lives right?_

If you know where I'm going with this then…you're smarter than you think…and if you don't well stay tuned because it's all going to be clear soon enough...i want to say more on the pandora box thing...but what more can i really say?

OOO and I forgot…heads up for next chapter…a new character will be introduced into the story…but you probably already know him from previous episodes…opps said too much…I have to stop doing that. Also…THANK YOU 4 ALL THE REVEIWS! **CHEERS** I LUV REVEIWS AND ONE OF THE REASONS I DECIDED TO WRITE ANOTHER CHAPTER SOONER THAN MY OTHER STORY IS BECAUSE SO MANY PPL REVWIED FOR THIS ONE…SO KEEP UP WITH WORDS! THANKS 4 UR SUPPORT!

LOL…well bye for now!

Remember smile and be happy!

Love,

Your One-N-Only,

Princess Lali (as in lolly pop) of Spain and England.

P.S.: So sorry for those who read my other story but I just had the sudden urgency, like I stated in the beginning like writing another chapter for this one. But do not despair I'm going to continue that other story soon enough…bye bye for now!


	11. Chapter 11 Explanations

A/N: I updated again! And I know it's not sooner that I hoped, and even worse this chapter is only like 5 pages on Arial font and 12 size. But…at least it's SOMETHING…anyways…here's the next chapter…enjoy!

* * *

**Dis-claimer: I don't own anyone but…Tina, Patty, Max, Bobby, Mellisa, and Tim! WOOT!

* * *

**

**Chapter 11: Explanations**

The room was still for what seemed to be ages. Everyone's breathing seemed to be cut short, and all their thoughts becoming tangled and searching for comprehension.

Even Beastboy seemed to recognize the name of the object and going deep in his mind to find what it meant.

Raven took a gulp and set the mug back down on her lap. She knew everything was bad news from the beginning. And now this just pretty much sealed the deal.

They were in one big pickle.

Robin already had his face contorted into a professional grimace, but with confusion and knowing in the air, made his face gestures faint a bit.

Cyborg, although had a half computer for a brain, knew all he could know about Greek Mythology, (thanks to Raven) but, that was just it.

Myth.

They couldn't be serious, or so he would have thought, but with all that's happened in the past years, dead guys coming out of ground, some devil guy taking over the world, aliens being real…he could believe this. So when the object of name clicked in his brain, he went blank eyed for a second. Letting his one red eye to blink in silence.

Starfire had heard of this 'box'…yes, she had. But little information escaped her thoughts the more she pressed onto it. Even so…it left a prickly sensation that made her become alert and fearful.

Beastboy…where had he heard it?…That name…A light bulb seemed to flash over his head and he suddenly stood, to everyone's surprised confusion.

"A-hah!"

Tim looked amused for a second and looked over at Beastboy with a questioning gaze. The little green boy was starting to become his light entertainment.

Raven dared look at him…somehow she knew he would say something stupid.

Something…something only Beastboy would say.

She inwardly groaned.

"What is the 'a-hah!' for friend Beastboy? Have you realized something?" Starfire pressed innocently.

Beastboy nodded his eagerly as if having to keep the burden of dwelling a secret and now letting it out.

Her dramatically stretched his lower pants up to above his stomach, in a seemingly wise manner, and formed the air of a highly intelligent old farmer about to tell a child a story.

"Pandora's box goes back in the day when everyone and everything was still happy and go-lucky." He started, earning Starfire's full interest.

Raven shook her head, and the others, although already knowing what exactly Pandora's box was, took their attentions and focus off of their own thoughts to stare amusingly at the green boy.

Starfire would have to search for go-lucky later.

Beastboy placed the soft skin of his thumb to his upper lip, his hand in a fist. "Yes. A long, long time ago…there were these big guys, Gods they called them. There was uh…Zeus, Mercury, Jupiter…uh…a whole bunch more, and my personal favorite…" He wiggled his eyebrows to show emphasis. "Hermaphrodite…Now since there wasn't much to do being a god, they got bored, so they decided, 'hey ley's create a woman!' So they made this _really_ HOT girl, giving her all these things to make her even more beautiful, and named her _Pandora_. So anyways…after this and that, this short guy named Mercury, was all lazy and tired, so left the box in her care, telling her not to on any circumstances to open it. But she got all, womanly like…" Glares from both Tina and Raven reached his eyes when that last words flew from his lips, and he seemed to squeak, but continued anyway. "And she decided to just take a peek, and all these bad things came out. They were like monsters and made people mad at each other, or jealous and gave them a speck of evil." By now, everyone was highly amused with Beastboy, for once actually getting a few things correct in what he was saying. "But before Pandora could run away or anything…a little voice came from the box saying 'let me out let me out', so she once again opened to the box, and this time something good came out."

Starfire quirked an eyebrow with interest, her eyes sparkling with childlike eagerness. "What was the good thing?"

Beastboy's smile fainted, and endingly slipped of his face…how could he have forgotten that?

It was like the best part…He tried his hardest to remember, he had gotten this far and he was not going to leave it like that…What was the good thing?

He sat back down and Raven seemed to smirk.

"You don't remember do you?"

"I do to remember!…I just forgot it…"

Raven rolled her violet eyes.

Robin's face took one of seriousness, the story of Pandora's box coming back to him…it was told to him such a long time ago, he patted himself on the back for remembering.

Tim's face showed a smirk, and Robin noticed.

But he wasn't going to let him take the cake. Oh, no sir. He was going to answer Starfire. No this Tim person, this thief.

"Hope."

They all looked at Robin, not truly thinking he would know anything based on this subject.

Starfire set her eyes on him, while Tim frowned.

He was going to say it, and make Starfire focus on him…but Robin took his chance away yet again.

Lovely.

"The last good thing that came out of the box was, hope. It helped people fight their dark side, and although still holding their selfish thoughts, carried on with hope." He gave a small smile at Starfire, and directed an equal smirk to Tim.

"Robin! I didn't know you knew of these wondrous stories!" She happily smiled.

Beastboy pouted…he snorted,…"I knew that…"

Cyborg laughed in a mocking manner, "Yea…you just forgot right?"

Beastboy nodded, still not seeing the bad in that.

Tina also smiled…maybe these guys weren't that bad after all.

"Both Beastboy and Robin are correct…although Beastboy might of summarized it into his own words." The woman added, remembering Beastboy's choice in words.

Beastboy huffed, after displaying a content smile at her remark.

Raven found the need to talk again and her serious eyes locked with those of Tina.

"Pandora's Box has already been opened…How could anything else possibly come out of it?"

Tina searched for a way to explain all of this. She readied herself for a long explanation.

"A few weeks ago, we got word of a couple of explorers finding a strange dark wooden box, wrapped with a golden cord. Scientists were absolutely intrigued that they studied it. Finding it to amazingly made in B.C. This itself, is almost impossible to be left in complete perfect contact and was later shipped to one of the most highly secured museum bases in the entire world. Now usually we would pass a chance to steal this, for even if you don't believe us or not, we do have much decency and don't touch things as highly as that. But later…we were informed by…an anonymous person, that the box itself was truly Pandora's Box. As you just heard, the box itself caused calamity all throughout at the world, and there is a chance it could happen. I know it might sound silly, basing this on a myth and that fact that even if it were true, the box would be empty. But, I still find it suspicious that the same string would still be tied on the box. Also…the explorers unexpectedly died the next day. Their deaths are still something to be solved, and the only scientist who had urgent news on the box, was as well placed into a coma and died shortly after. Doctors tested that he was very sickly…but I highly doubt this."

Before she could continue, Robin interrupted her.

"Why haven't we heard of this?" He questioned a little above a whisper.

"I guessed so…This all took place far away from here. In Greece."

Robin nodded in understanding.

"So you think that this…box, somehow killed all who got to close to examining it?" Cyborg as well had a few questions.

Tina nodded her head slightly. "Yes…But I believe it's something else as well."

"Why?"

Everyone directed his or her attention to Beastboy.

"Why what?" Tina gently asked.

"Why December 12th?"

Suddenly everyone remembered what Tina has said before as well…

_Before the 12th of December. _

Tina sighed. "We studied a few things after hearing this. And we've speculated that that exact date, the string around the box will be at its weakest state and would be easily pulled off. Allowing anything in it to come out."

"Wait…you mean to say, all those scientists couldn't even take the darn string off?" Beastboy voiced.

Tim suddenly decided to interject, "I honestly think it's best they didn't. And it's getting late Tina. Think you could wrap this up?"

Tina being reminded of the time, looked to the closed and curtained window to her left, no longer seeing a small seep of light, all but dark now.

"You're quite right. We'll continue conversing tomorrow. I'll get Patty to escort you to your rooms." She said in a calmed, yet hurried tone, also taking a quick glance at her watch, her mind registering the fact that she had an appointment to soon be realized.

"Rooms?" Robin didn't for a second think that he was staying over. Not in a thieving house non-the less. He was a super hero for god sakes!

"Oh yes…Didn't Tim tell you, that you were staying? This is going to take at least a while to get everything done and cleaned."

Tim smirked. "Sorry…I guess I forgot."

Robin glared daggers at him. Forgot?

Raven as well wasn't that…comfortable with this situation. She hadn't stayed in another room other than her own in a while. The last time she had stayed in a visiting room, being when they went to Tamaran.

That was a few years ago though…

Beastboy and Cyborg were more than happy being invited into a mansion and to be able to sleep there only lighted their sprits.

The kitchen being the main thing that circled their minds at the moment.

Starfire found it completely normal, although at the same time fidgeted and wondered if it really was for the best.

They still didn't know…although she could tell they were getting fearfully close.

But deep inside a warm feeling came across her, knowing that this used to be her home. This used to be where she herself reserved herself to sleeping. Although finding it increasingly difficult to at first do so.

Beds…still confused her. No matter how many years she had spent on earth.

Tina glanced at her watch again and thanked the gods that her client wasn't in yet.

She would have guessed he'd come late anyway though.

She hurriedly called for Patty and rushed the Titans out of the office. They all looked questionably at her.

Patty from a far away view noticed Tina's gestures and knew that she needed to kick it into gear and help her out. She had already fluffed up the pillows, ironed the sheets, and cleaned out the bathrooms for her guests, and taken care of all the pesky children about an hour ago.

Having been doing it for a few years now, she had broken her record of getting 50 children into their beds and with full stomachs too.

She hurried over to them and got ready to lead them up the flight of stairs.

Beastboy and Cyborg were first ones to exit and wait at the bottom of the stairs for the others.

Raven lightly stepping behind them and Robin waiting for Starfire.

Although she seemed to want to have a last word with her old mentor.

Tina was now sweating, and Starfire was beyond confused and worried. "Tina, are you positive you're all right?"

Tim looked at the ticking clock above the desk and smirked.

He was almost here….

Tina bit her lip in a panicked way. She was going to tell them sooner or later who exactly was coming to meet her. But reading upon the Titans past with this boy, she doubted everything would go smoothly and meet this character when everyone was situated in their beds.

The boy was known for being exactly a few minutes late and the deadline was coming to a final second…

A heavy chuckle was heard across the room, a chuckle that wasn't quite natural to be formed from a normal voice…needing a voice changer to do so.

The hairs on Robin's back went straight up and his eyes suddenly went to flame.

"Well, well, well…The Titans…haven't seen you guys in a while. And least expected you _here_."

Tina's shoulders slumped. She was too late.

Starfire knew that voice…she knew that voice well…

But before she could voice the name, the Boy Wonder beat her to it. Seething the name between his lips.

"_Red X."_

* * *

**End of chapter…**

Ok I defiantly shouldn't have left you with only 5 pages, that BEING the SHORTEST chapter yet…

I know it was.

But if I added anymore, it wouldn't be the cliffhanger I was hoping for.

I won't say this was filler because it wasn't.

Or maybe it was…

I wanted to get the Pandora's Box thing cleared up before I started writing anything more. And I warned you there was going to be another character introduced.!…

So yea…its Red X, I'm sure a lot of you would have guessed.

His story and WHY he's there is going to be in the next chapter.

Which I'm SURE will be highly interesting to read. Or at least...I hope. Because we all either love hating Red X, or plainly Love red x. I for one, love him.

He's a bad ass….lol

Ok…I also re-read most of my chapters, and noticed I seriously am a bit of a potty mouth and am wondering if I should change the rating…I'm not sure but I'm afraid I maybe using to much vulgar language…but if I do change the rating, that would be the ONLY reason. Review please!

REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW,…PLEASE!

I ask this of you because the last review I read pushed me over the limit and ushered me to write this chapter (although short).

And I'm glad so many people think my story is good! Thanks SO MUCH!

I'd write all those replies to my reviews if I had the chance, but sadly, I have to start my project that's due tomorrow…hehehe…Bye!

Love, Your One-N-Only

Princess Lali of

Spain And England.

P.S.: Don't forget to review please…I sound so cheesy…sorry again for the long delay but I got it up! And next chapter WILL be longer…since I it has to do with Red X and such…Also in case you're wondering…I'm sure some of you might've forgotten, Slade will come up again maybe either next chapter or the one after… sorry for the cliff hanger there too...bye!


	12. Chapter 12 Red

**A/N:** Another update, a bit late,(very late) but summer is here so I decided to give this another chapter. Ok I need to say before you read this chapter. IT TOOK ME 72 HOURS TO CHOOSE A NAME FOR RED X. Yes my friends and fellow reviewers 72 hours, tres dias (3 days) and after searching, searching and searching some more, I didn't want an original "Roy" or "Alex" or any of these American boy names. So when you reach the part where you get to Red X's REAL name (cause he has a nickname) don't go WHT THE HELL! I personally like it. Lol. Read on…

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**Disclaimer: I do not own teen titans, or Red X…I do however own all the others…

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**Chapter 12: Red**

The name rolled through her ears and for a moment she and anyone in the room could've sworn that time froze into a hot burning inferno.

Eyes were glared and mouths were twisted into smirks as the new addition to the room strolled leisurely from his last sitting place to right in front of the titan leader.

Another step and Starfire would've marked him dead.

Robin was ready to murder. If that was what you called it.

Cyborg stood by the confused Beastboy, while debating on what to do. They were already in a thief's home, willingly went, and he wasn't sure if it was ok to shoot another thief. After all…like he before stated…they _were_ in a thief's mansion.

Beastboy wasn't even sure of what to debate. Wasn't Red X on their side? He did help them that last time didn't he? The green confused boy thought something intelligent would break the ice. And as we all know, Beastboy is one pure genius.

…. "Uh…"…

Raven stood stiff, but soon relaxed and passed Robin's sudden anger for a childish behavior and Red X's smirk as a little too cocky, hence the fact she looked at another painting on the wall.

It had some dark features on it…interesting.

Starfire was least to say, surprised to a degree. She knew something had to have been going on for Tina to be acting all jittery and ready to kick them out of the office, but not for her to get ready to invite Red X.

How she knew Tina _invited_ Red X?

Simply the fact that no matter how experienced Red X was, there was no way in hell that he could have gotten past all the alarms, guards, and wild rampant little kids spread everywhere.

Her mind reeled back into focus and was getting ready to break up the certain fight between Robin and the other masked guest.

But before she could get a hand out for the situation Red X took the air of one mature and stepped back, taking a short glance at Starfire before allowing his gaze to land to Tina.

"I wasn't informed of this _dear _Tina." His voice was suave in a way that still held it's boyish tone.

Said woman didn't seemed fazed in a bit, all though only but a few seconds ago she was biting her lip and swearing mentally hear and there. Tina merely bore her eyes right back into Red X's masked ones, and let a fine eyebrow rise in a manner that said 'so?'

A silent war was waging as all titans looked from one battler to the other.

Robin's anger seemed to run through his veins with a steady beat as he felt a small warm pressure on his right shoulder, not having to look back to know it was Starfire.

Tim easily relaxed, his body straightening as he approached Red X. Confusion sparked everywhere and even more so when Tim fisted his hand, and both him and Red X hit fists one up and the other down, repeating the motion and ending it wit a knuckle clash.

"Long time no see X." Tim nodded, a small smile of recognition giving the look that he knew the opposite boy before him.

The other nodded back, a smile hidden behind the skull mask.

Starfire was the first to come to and speak. "You are both acquaintances in some way?"

Both pairs of eyes set on the alien princess and a strange silence quilted over once again. Tina took the time to step forward and speak, not before flicking some hair back to seem intimidating.

"Red X, you're fashionably late as always." She stated quite casually, strolling up to him, standing only a few feet closer than Robin.

Raven's attention moved from the art work on the walls and back to the main scene, having nothing else to look to.

He smirked, "You can't say you weren't expecting it."

She almost smiled, "No I can't can I?"

Ever since the first time she meant the wild mischievous 14-year-old child, she knew he was going to be a handle.

His story although a bit strange, still made her smile at times and made her wonder how she managed.

His father was a rich FBI agent who loved his son with all the power a father could have, but rarely showed it, and most his meetings with his son dealt with training him to become stronger in a way. Nothing way too experienced but the boy had a talent for blending his personality into his punches and kicks.

Tina met him by chance, and by connection of Tim.

His father was called upon a hard case, and to say sadly, he saved others lives, but it cost his own. Tragic stories seem to plaque the Royal Mansion, but everyone still seems to smile.

The boy known now as Red X held the nickname "Red" back then, cause of his messy mop of hair on top of his expensive head. He was a bit of a brat, but only because his father used to pamper him with all the money in the world.

Red wasn't 18 yet so his father's will meant nothing to him, and it all went to the banks to hold until the coming of age.

The boy had no mother (dieing of an illness) and was home schooled. So day by passing day, the boy was quite alone. With the exception of the tutor coming and lecturing him, or the lady who came by to check on him every now and then.

Alone was a cold cruel word to him, and he spent all his time training in the gym below.

He taught himself things that only certified FBI agents should know, and practiced every day to get better.

Decoding locks, putting guards to sleep with a press to the neck, stepping across wooden planks without making a sound. It was all a new adventure for him and soon it became his new secret game, which he could never get bored with. For there was always a new level.

A new arena.

He started with shops, then banks, and landing in popular museums. No one would know he was…And certainly no one would guess it was that rich boy living across the street..

It was here in one of the museums, by chance that Tim and he met.

Tim was with by himself at the time, Tina ordering to stay clear of Nick and Kori for unknown reasons, and when the two boys clashed, friendship was easy.

Tim brought him to Tina who, although hesitant, offered a stay in the mansion for Red.

His boyish smile graced his features and a few strands of his red bangs caught in front of his cinnamon eyes, three dots of freckles on each cheek. Making him look wildly adorable, to any woman walking by him.

* * *

_Tina looked quizzically at the boy, and weighed her options. He lived in a rich home. Used to have a rich parent. Soon to own millions in 4 years…_

_Tim stood by him, arm around his shoulder in a friendly way and pleading Tina with his eyes. _

_Maybe he could stay…but first…_

"_Your **real** name and you can stay."_

_Red visibly winced and bit the inside of cheek. Ever since his father's death, he never had the need to speak his real name. _

"And I need to know everything about you, boy. None of this mystery business, if you're rich and steal things, explanations are in order."

_Usually she wouldn't ask background information about her new recruits, but this was _completely_ different._

_He sighed and even Tim was awaiting that answer for he knew nothing of his real name. Then the boy's face darkened and he looked directly into Tina's eyes. _

"Scipio."

_Tina looked a bit surprised…such a rich and high name. Of course it was expected she supposed, but the name held class. _**Italian**_ class non-the less. _

_Tim looked perplexed, never having heard a name like that in his 14 years of life. _

"**Scipio?"**

"_It's Italian." He defended, shaking Tim off his shoulder and crossed his arms looking away. _

_Tim cocked his head slightly. "Hmm…sounds like Scorpio." _

"_What about it sounding like Scorpio?" Scipio looked back at him, his chest heaved up in challenge. _

"_I like scorpions, they're cool." Tim shrugged. Scipio raised one eyebrow and lowered the twin._

_Tina laughed.

* * *

_

The boy was reckless, but graceful, and cunning, but cocky. In a way Tim and him were ideal friends and partners.

Kori never met this mysterious new friend of Tim, and Nick, who was mostly around Kori, never took up time to interfere with his brother's new friends.

Being the son of a rich, wealthy, and well-bred father Red fit right in with the accommodations of the mansion. But sooner or later the need to be free with no strings caught up with him and he gave his farewell to the mansion with a note telling he had enjoyed his stay, but he felt it time to leave.

Tina only saw him on a rarely bases since then, only coming to crash a few parties, balls, and greeting Tim while there.

His case was clearly different from the others, because although Tina could've reinforced the fact that he was a Royal Thief and so should've stayed in the mansion, but to be honest, it would've been harder with him there. But she did feel small warmth of a mother to him, as she did with Tim, Kori, and Nick. So on his goodbyes she wished him to stay out of trouble and farewell of course.

"So what? Ya'll know each other so everything's good, or do we need to do something?" Cyborg finally spoke, not being to handle the fact that he wasn't involved in anything and the conversation seemed to only include Tim, Tina, and Red X. He wasn't on such good terms with the thief, the cause being he had to have Starfire scrape all the Red goop from his newly polished metal, and realizing it was a chemical that would stain, he had to revert to waiting weeks before he was able to get it to "look" shiny again.

Other than that, he didn't see any other reason to blast him to another realm.

Raven's standards with Red X were simple….he was a bratty kid who wanted a go with the suit.

End of story.

She didn't have a reason to be completely angry with him.

And Beastboy, although thoroughly confused, was just as angry with him as Cyborg, if not more, only this time with his hair. It came out looking like some Picasso painting and less like a surfer's choice of hair, which is what he was going for.

So all in all, the boys on the team weren't exactly happy with the seeing of Red X.

"What are you doing here X?" Robin finally gritted out. Last time they met, they weren't exactly on good terms. Before that he had somehow repaid him, but the next meeting he was back to being the no good thief.

X cocked his head, as he lay back onto the opposite wall. His weight careful not to press too hard against the frame behind him.

"Don't get so bitchy birdy. I was called upon just like cutie over there." He gestured to Starfire and Robin almost growled.

Tim as well gave Red X a look that clearly stated hands off.

Red X saved the rest of his "talks" about the alien girl for later…maybe when they were alone.

He smirked under his mask at the idea.

"Who the he-"

"Tina called you?" Starfire interrupted Robin. She felt there were some words in his earth vocabulary that needn't be said.

Red X shrugged. "Yea…" He suddenly fell on the spot. "She said something about needing me and such. Of course I'm never one to let my_ dearest _Tina down."

Suddenly the spotlight was on the all too well known Tina and yet she held the air of one strangely and utterly calm although annoyed.

"Yes Scip-"

"_Red_." He interrupted with a fierce look and Tina knew when to keep going and when to stop. The marbled floor took Tim's interest and he crossed his arms in a childish fashion.

Tina focused an equal glare on the black and red clad boy, "Yes _Red._ I did in fact call you for I require you assistance." She brushed invisible dust of her clothes and her eyes gave a long business like blink indicating her mood on the situation.

She gave a short sigh and waved for Patty.

"Patty dear, can you escort the titans to their rooms." She politely asked, the maid too eager to nod realizing that some tension had to be taken off the room.

She gave a small, warm smile and lightly walked towards a giant door, waving for the others to follow.

Robin took a step forward and right before he could open his mouth Tina beat him to it.

"Robin, I suppose, can stay." She gave him a passing look and then motioned for Starfire to also come in closer into the room.

Beastboy gave an annoyed and highly disturbed ego snort.

"Why can't we stay? We ain't good enough-" He was suddenly put to hold his tongue when the smell of sugar filled his nose and his eyes dilated.

"Is..that…is….it…" He felt himself salivating.

Tina grinned and Patty winked a knowing blink at her boss, while opening another door that lead to the lunching room.

"Yes Sir Beastboy. It is in fact-"

"SUGARY CRUNSHIES!" The exclamation came from both boys who were widely known for not only arguing but also being completely fascinated with food of any sugary sorts.

Dust was left along with the outlines of the two titans leading to the open door, now slammed and leaving a calm maid to handle it.

Raven looked a bit worried. "Are you-"

Patty held up a hand. "Just fine dearest, I have to go through with this every day."

And without another word she gestured for Raven to follow and continued to enter the sugar scented area.

Raven had no need to stay, although it was evident that she was allowed. Being the most mature of all of them.

But…although she hated to admit it, she found it rather more amusing to observe Cyborg and Beastboy frolicking drunk in sugar and fighting over the biggest bag.

Rather than watching Tim, Red X, and Robin fighting over the only available alien princess on the room.

She nodded slowly, yes much more amusing.

The door closed behind her and left to the imagination of the other occupants in the mansion.

The thoughts were lifted from their minds as heads were turned and glares were fixated into scowls that could kill to every other direction.

Starfire being the only one was out of their death range.

Although she was one of the reasons the fights were beginning in the first place…

"Please, Tina it may be wisest to explain why the Red X is here." She asked pushing her index fingers together in a fashion that showed shyness yet determination at the same time.

Tina clasped hands in font of her and with the pace of someone stressed, she took her seat once again in the giant leather chair.

She sighed.

"It's best if we take our seats." She gestured to the chairs in front of them.

Robin took the one he had taken before, Starfire did the same, and both Tim and Red X laid back against the wall. Finally before Robin could stop himself he let it out.

"I can't believe I'm in the same room as him." He jabbed his gloved thumb towards an amused Red X.

The said thief pressed his arms tight against his chest and the mask over him masked the emotions flying across his face.

"Likewise" He stated flatly.

"Boys….Boys…" Tina directed their attention to her and heads turned to face her. "There was a reason, like I have earlier stated, to call you. The titans. Are gong to need your help, Red."

Robin was the first to respond. "Uh-uh. No way. Sorry, but we can handle it. And although I'm not so balanced with us being in partner ship with the most wanted group of thieves, I can defiantly say that as the leader of my team, I will not allow him to assist us."

Starfire looked from boy, to boy, to boy.

And she wasn't seeing a pretty picture.

Tim looked uninterested with the whole situation and wondered how much trouble he would get into if he threw bird boy out of the window…of the highest story.

He lightly shrugged to himself. If he flew the correct distance. Maintained the right pace for a few hours. And made sure to dump him off quick.

…Hmm…

Then he pursed his lips and shook his head. Nah, he wouldn't have enough time to watch him fall to his death.

Starfire recognized the look and shot him a quick glare.

He almost looked scared for a second and quickly turned with the air of complete observation and calmness while trying to keep up with what Tina was explaining.

"-so Red X will be a suitable extension to your team. Are we clear?"

How was he suppose to know what she just said?

"But Red X can't be part of my-"

"I think you keep seeming to forget, Robin, that although it is YOUR team, it is MY problem and MY members who are going to direct you, maybe even LEAD you. Understood?" She took a tone in voice where it was hard to stand up for yourself.

Yes, Tina played this act well.

Robin inwardly gulped, but he was not about to be outdone.

"Ms.Tina, I am more than eager to save the world, but when it comes to dealing with feigns, I have the right to reconsider."

Tina lifted a curios eyebrow, and decided to test her theory. Rather, her territory.

"Kori." She called to the red headed alien. She turned her head, accordingly. "Or rather Starfire. Will you then help me? It was after all, just supposed to be you. I just thought your friends might make it more sufficient and precise, of course we can do without them." Tina stated casually, while flashing a smart look over to Robin. She hooked him.

He searched Starfire's face for any type of reconciliation. But she was looking at her former surrogate mother as if everything she was saying made complete sense.

Robin was not a happy camper.

Starfire felt her hands shake for a little off a second and she gripped them fast into a fist. Her eyes lighting with a new spark. But dulling with something else.

"Of course. I am, and always will be part of this family."

That was when Robin decided was a good time re think things.

* * *

Sugar here.

Raven looked to the other side.

Sugar there.

She glanced at the dazed lunatics who were occupying her entertainment, rolled her eyes, and ended it with a sigh.

"GIVE ME THAT"

"NO I SAW IT FIRST!"

"YOU DID NOT!"

"YOU FOOL!"

"OH NO!"

"LOOK, JUST LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, YOU BIG LUMP OF METAL!"

"ME! I WAS NOT THE ONE GRABBING THE OTHER SIDE! IT WAS MINE IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

"NA-UH!"

"UH-HUH!"

"ESTUPIDO!"

"BASTARDO!"

"THAT'S NOT A WORD!"

"IS NOW!"

The fight would've gone on…and on. Were it not for Raven exploding the last of the Sugary CRUNSHIES, other wise known as Chemical X.

Did she know they were going to attack her afterwards?

No, for she thought they at least had enough sense to know not to.

But of course. As all things horrible in her life.

She was wrong.

"…Raven…"

"You have disturbed the peace."

"What peace?" She slurred, almost dumbly.

Never had she seen them like this…or at least not at her.

"The PEACE RAVEN THE PEACE!" Beastboy held up a finger and almost looked like a god himself, and Raven was irritated with that comparison. An annoyed expression fixed toward them.

So they were mad, were they?

* * *

'Family?'

Robin was working the gears in his head, and although being a quick detective, and heir of one's would've perhaps been an advantage, nothing helped.

'She...aren't WE her…I thought…' Thoughts, were streaming through the masked boy's mind and nothing could stop him from thinking and re thinking.

"Starfire…We can't…You're part of THIS team. You made a promise to protect the world." He started out softly as if he were dealing with something fragile, but Robin was quick to mask his emotions and cover it with the one thing he was taught to show in spots of weakness, but not let it blind him.

Anger consumed him for those few words of end.

Starfire almost jumped at his words, or rather his tone in using them.

Was he angered with her?

She did not understand…fully.

Her eyes lingered on him for more than a few seconds, and shifted down wards, this was what she feared, and fear was something she hated almost as much as being left alone.

_Alone_…Starfire had known of such words on both planets, and both had the same meaning.

Both the same feeling.

How this was curled up in the mix was if she chose neither, she would left alone once again.

And not only that, but if she picked one, she would lose the other.

Losing was something you would think she was accustom too, but even the strongest Alien disliked highly losing things she kept dearly to her heart.

Robin angry something, meant things she didn't want to cross sometimes. But denying Tina, the woman who had loved her through it all, and treated her like a mother would to her daughter.

Never.

So she looked to Robin.

And Robin stared at her shining emeralds, while all the other occupants of the room waited her response.

"Forgive me Robin, but I do not believe that rescuing this world from the cruelty of the box is against your law. And although I AM part of your team, I am part of THEIR family. It will pain me to see you all leave, but I must do what I promised to do."

How is it that she could looks so angry and innocent at the same time? Is it a secret power she possessed? Robin could only wonder.

The leader looked over to Tina and gave both thieves a look that if it could kill, they would be 6 feet under.

"I need to think on all this, I'll give you my report tomorrow." Robin scrunched his commanding glare. His words flowing and hanging in the air like dry oxygen, and Starfire hunched her shoulders.

He only spoke like this when becoming the isolated leader was the only thing that mattered.

"No need to be wordy, we're in a thieves mansion." Red X murmured. His right hand come to rest where his mouth would be, the bottom of his fingers holding his chin, in a thoughtful stance.

Robin snuffed, and Tim turned away. This was getting weird.

Tina rolled her shoulders in a way that was almost unnoticeable, and blinked intelligently.

The silence was interrupted suddenly by two shrill screams, and a barking order, while a voice in the background was heavy with worry and straining to keep in below a shout.

"Patty…" Tina quirked an eyebrow and looked at Robin critically. "Perhaps the sugar was too much?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Starfire's face, and the boy wonder merely shrugged.

The mother of the mansion took in a breath of air and responded to the boy's request.

"Yes, you will stay the night. Your room is already prepared, and I will await your answer tomorrow." She peered at Red, and made sure he saw her "and you better not say another word" look.

He gulped silently and took interest on a neighboring painting.

Robin nodded, and didn't even take another glance at his partner and all time best friend, perhaps love interest, and walked out of the room.

…Before walking back in and stating he had not a clue of where his room was.

* * *

The leader of the Teen Titans collapsed onto the bed, the most comfortablest bed he had ever been on, might he add.

The dark scarlet sheets ruffled under his weight and the pearly white under sheets peeked from under them. The equally white silk lined pillows jumped at the sudden intrusion and they flopped back, bordering Robin's messy coal hair.

His hidden blue eyes blinked, and they adjusted to the sudden darkness. There was a light. He had remembered turning it off.

Everything here looked so…he snorted….so royal.

He could almost automatically just fall to dream land by just laying there for few minutes.

Even the cream-colored walls had a high price of elegance to them that made him feel like a guest to a queen's home.

The curtains flying softly away from the wind, disturbed his thoughts and he looked over to a balcony…balcony?

How original, he thought.

He should've said that he was used to these themes. But in all truth, he wasn't really.

Living in a mansion for a couple of years, did perhaps but a toll on what was expected of him. But never did he feel so high in his…or would he say Bruce's house.

Here, although the tension and sides the fact that 3 of his team members had officially put them selves on cleaning duty for the rest of their stay, Robin had never felt more on top.

Money was something he never thought of twice.

He never really wanted it all.

But it always seemed to fall out of the sky wherever he went. Was he lucky? He had lost his parents and became heir to a billionaire. He left the dark knight, and found the teen titans. He was almost beat up by an alien girl, later to be kissed. He had just found out that said girl was perhaps part of the most wanted thieves in the world, and he was lying on silk touched covers.

Luck?

More like jinxed for life, with hairpin turns.

He sighed, and gingerly lifted himself from the bed. A sweet, sweet harmony reaching his ears.

It sounded almost like…like…wow he hadn't heard those in years…a harp.

But Robin knew what something was when he heard it. That was most definitely a harp, and he moved over to the window to get a better look, just to make sure.

His detective sense kicking into control and he almost smirked to himself when he strained his eyes to get a peaceful view of a woman stringing the sparkling cords of a harp. A little boy at her side playing the flute. Both playing in tune to a rhythm that left the young man in a daze.

Thoughts of anything really just hazing over and he listened to the beautiful sound.

Without realizing it, he had stepped back a few steps and fell into a silky ocean.

And…slowly closed his eyes.

The music lulling him to sleep.

And never had he felt more relaxed.

To just sleep.

The cords of the harp and light tone of the flute filtering through his mind.

It sounded…so much…

_Like a heartbeat._

* * *

Red hair fell over his eyes as he looked onto the full moon, the white light illuminating his features.

High cheek bones, and radiant cinomin eyes sparkling with youth. The faint freckles of his childhood were still there, if you looked closely and he gave the slightest of a smile.

Starfire, rather known as Kori, he had met from afar. When his first days at the mansion began, he had caught a glimpse of her beautiful crimson hair. Although he himself had a mop of it. She added a whole new definition to the color.

And she had beautiful emerald eyes, he would long at from his perch on the highest balcony. Looking of to her. Wanting to be close to her so bad.

Hormones, kicked in and a blush would always appear on his cheeks when he thought of her again.

That was before.

Then she was never heard of again. He never saw her. Then, fate. While taking a quick steal, he got hit by something green, and shiny.

And when he looked up, the long forgotten gems were glaring at him.

Scipio glared down at his hands and fisted them. But it never mattered what he wanted…did it?

It was obvious then and now that she had held some attraction, always to someone else.

Always…

And he would never have her.

Even at this age, when engagement, in his family, would be scorned upon if you didn't have it.

Red had his days, and then he wouldn't. They have a saying to understand before you are to be understood.

He understood Starfire, in a way, perhaps no one could. He just needed her, to at least once.

Speak to him.

And understand him.

So it was, either safe or un safe to say, he was more than eager to jump on the case when his old mentor asked him report back to coop.

Word of Kori was back. And he snapped into action.

Masked himself, with more than just a robotic voice, and flew over roof tops to get to where he wanted.

His name would be legend, he would be sure of it.

He smirked.

And he let Tina's finger to the rest of the talking as they smoothed over the harp cords.

A deep thought, buried deep in his mind, although floating every so slightly to the top as he allowed himself to close his eyes for a deep nap.

When he had passes Tim while walking to his room, a little piece of paper had peeked out from a pocket.

An "S" scratched hazard into a piece of paper, screaming through the paper and Red had let his eyes catch it, for only a few seconds, Tim noticing something was out of place and dug it deeper into the little space in his pants.

Scipio thought nothing of it, and shrugged the feeling off his shoulders.

He left a smile mar his face for that night before he slept.

He was back.

And he was gong to stay for a bit of a while…

* * *

Starfire sighed and lay her head down on the banister of the balcony, the familiar room playing shadows around her, a sound that was as well to recognizable to her shifted her to a beautiful dream place.

It was amazing how well Tina still knew her harp strings.

And no matter how the same the music was, it was still so soothing.

Starfire would always joke on how it would put the most vicious of monsters to a sleep.

Tina would laugh…

The sound of her fingers running by the strings like water, over and over, then individual ones to fit into a note.

Today was difficult and it as was if the music lifted everything off their shoulders.

Once again…

Red X's "return" to the mansion, rose alarming thoughts that he had been around her before she had known Robin or the others.

This sent a chill up her spine and she just closed her eyes. Tina's fingers playing a sound that reminded her of the fairies of a far off place.

Starfire as Kori read many things. Classics and fables.

Her top favorite was of the Robin Hood. But the next would have to be of the boy who never wanted to grow up. Peter Pan, she would never forget that name.

And there was a scene, well played out in her mind with him and Wendy Darling dancing in the air. Fairies surrounding them. Why was she thinking this? Was it important?

No.

No it was not.

Yet she lazily smiled, the ends of her mouth pulling up.

The events of the day filing into a yesterday, and opening up to a new one.

Raven was most likely picking out candy from her purple hair, and the other two might have been having dreams, or rather nightmares, of the girl cursing them to hell and back.

But this music…oh, if they heard, it, she could only think.

Tim…her eyes snapped open at the name and she hugged herself. It had been so long since she had seen him. She wanted to so badly hug him, and never let go, or at least not until something else came up that needed her help.

…Did it mean something?

She shook her head. No…it meant nothing more than family relations.

He was a brother…

So was…

Robin popped into her head and the way he had almost seemed lost or hurt when she had stated they were her family, not the titans.

Did it harm him so much?

But as always feelings were a weakness to him.

"They are not always a weakness, Robin." She whispered, her eyes dozing off again.

Red X was going to help them. She had this gut feeling. And Robin was going to agree.

There was a world at stake here.

Again, her gut telling this.

Or maybe it was her?

She couldn't precisely tell at the moment.

Sleep over coming her.

As the beautiful sting of a familiar heartbeat streaming through her delicate ears.

She covered herself with silk sheets.

The cushioned rug, brushed under her feet after she lifted them onto he bed.

She pillowed her feet against a soft pillow and as her head logged upside down, in her trademark pattern of sleep.

She let her thoughts cease, and let sleep take her away.

There was a boy there waiting.

Short hair.

Hidden eyes.

And a mess of black hair.

...or was it brown...

* * *

End of Chapter.

Almost a full 13 pages. Not much but more than last time.

Author's Note: Can you believe it? I got my keyboard back for ONE DAY, and I'm writing this until 3 in the morning! WOW! Lol. Well, I can't really give a INFO on this chapter since I myself am following Robin and Starfire on this one.

Lol. Sorry if Red Z's nam didn't live up to your expectations, but I had something rare in mind for him. Italian. Rich. Lol. Scipio did the trick. If you know where I got that name from, I'll dedicate the next chapter to you!

Well, I didn't add much Raven or the other two. But this was circled on who Red X

Hmmm….what is Tim up to? Lol. Oh well. We'll find out later chapters. Sorry if this chapter a waste of time for you. But I'm saving the real juicy stuff for later. Cause god knows this is turning out to be longer than expected. Sorry for the wait!

I'd keep saying sorry if I had the time.

But falling asleep here. Lol.

And Starfire hmmm….who does she have hidden feelings for?

Well, night to all. And I hope to get some reviews.

Again, no editing, cause I haven't got the time.

So be quick to point out my mistakes, and I will note them down for when I revise this whole story.

BYEZ AND THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH THIS ORDEAL!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Lol.

REVIEW! PLEASE!

Your one-n-only,

Princess Lali

Of

Spain and England.

P.S: Would you look at that? I don't have time for a PS.I'm to sleepy.

P.p.S: Next Chapter….what is this? Training?

_"No one told us we were gonna actually have to run through lazer beams!"_

_"MY PANTS!"_

_"Red X, GET AWAY FROM HER!"_


	13. Chapter 13 Mornings

**Chapter 13**

It was morning.

And he had made his decision.

Robin felt the strings of morning dash and twist their rays of sunlight in through the fabrics of silken curtains in his quarters. He normally beat the sun in its race towards the top corners of the bokeh sapphire firmament but after last night's burst of unknown information he had opened his eyes and let the incasing lids fall back into place, throwing him into the peace of darkness.

But he could not hold off much longer on the compromise he had reached. Not that it was much of decision to begin with; he had known the moment his view made collision with Starfire's concerned one that he could not abandon a team member from the Teen Titans at a chance to once again, ya know, save the world.

Unclenching his toes and rolling the blades in his shoulders Robin prepared to shower. He tried not to be impressed when his naked feet made contact with the flawless marble bathroom and he did in fact scrunch his perfect nose while glowering at the fact that the towel he had been complimented with adorned the initials of _R. M._ Yet his body, wet and quickly prickling with icy goose bumps logically swallowed down his pride and reached out to utilize the pearly cloth.

After clothing himself with the clinging yellow and green material people had come to see as his everyday uniform, he starred at his cerulean eyes through the reflection in the mirror.

The black mask hung like a dead bat entangled in his left fingers and his lips parted to breathe another sigh before he said,

"_Richard, what are you doing here…"_

_

* * *

_

Tina waltzed into her royal office with the air of a queen, her steps light and coordinated. She felt the hem of her maroon dress float amongst her toes, which were wrapped in delicate leather. She favored her life and she was beginning to favor her morning, seeing as the children were rampant around the building, giggling and snorting and grunting with joy. She favored most her mornings but this one in specific was singularly special and golden. All her children were under the same gigantic roof, within the lenses of her security cameras and soon to be entering the very office she walked in, probably to confirm her hypothesis that they would agree in engaging in the urgent search for the box.

Albeit, Starfire's reason for returning was more of a, have to save the world type thing, rather than a need to fulfill her place as the rightful princess of the monarchy in the mansion but regardless of her intentions, Tina was thankful to carry her face within the realm of reality and the walls of her abode.

Tina felt a sense of bliss and despite the darkness in her heart for the fear of tomorrow and the future of her life, she invited the warmth and treasured the pieces.

* * *

Robin starred at the child in front of him and there were a spare few seconds of awkward silence before the infant thief crossed his arms and turned away sourly from his line of vision.

"Tina wishes to have all the Titans report to her room of documentation once again."

Robin reflected his stance and also crossed his arms. "What's your name again?"

"It's Shutdahellup and get to the office pronto." Max snickered as he made a run for the adjacent stairway down the stretch of hall before Robin could register the act of disrespect. The masked boy sighed and before chasing down the unnamed thief and limiting his chances are becoming a future father, ultimately decided on finding his way to the before mentioned office.

But not before stalking the perimeter of the mansion first.

* * *

Timothy appeared from the dark shadows of behind Tina's office doors and smirked despite his knowledge that Tina could've probably made out the outline of his figure through the blackness.

"Timmy darling, I need you to set up the training pads for later this morning."

The tall male frowned at the endearing nickname and quickly placed one black cladded foot against the creamy colored wall and took a position of indifference with crossed arms. "We have enough labor around the mansion to have others train them."

Tina focused on the edges of her clean-cut nails and slightly tilted her pristine head to the left as she deduced her foster son's incompetence. "I never said you had to_ train _them, I am merely asking you-"

"Do I look like my brain has devolved to the size of a raisin? I know what you're going to say," he cleared his through for half a second and out from his lips came a shrill version of his queen's female accent, "Well dearest Timothy, since you are already there, you _might as well _help out your princess and her companions in training for what is to come, after all you _do_ know better." Tim did a rendition of her premonition speech a little too well.

Tina repressed a smile and trailed one long slender finger down the hand-carved maple that was her desk. "It would be an excellent opportunity to get closer to Kori."

The bandit feigned apathy and quickly pivoted in his spot making a bee-line for the exit, en route to the training squadron.

Tina chortled.

* * *

Starfire rose out from the Egyptian cotton and prepared herself as well, but at a much later time than Robin and was still in her old room when the leader of her team decided to investigate her living arrangements.

She fingered the thin curtains on her expansive balcony and curled her fingers and wrapped the digits around the delicate fabric and smiled calmly to herself. Suddenly a knock disturbed her mind-set and she quickly unlocked her room door and let her lips split into a grin of delight.

"Robin!"

Said boy couldn't help the warm look in his mask melt the corners of his eyes and he responded by smiling softly and saying, "Hey, Star."

The alien princess put her hand on his arm and ambushed his personal space without warning, "And how was your night? Did you manage to slumber peacefully?"

Blunder boy quickly stepped back, a tender feeling of something forming knots in the pit of his stomach. Something uncomfortable. "It was great, everything was up to par, but listen Star. Even though I've decided to aid in this search for the box but I don't feel completely safe with being under command of…Tim."

"I don't think Tina was serious about that aspect of her speech. She wouldn't allow him to do such a thing."

Robin glimpsed at her large emerald orbs and then glanced away quickly. "I hope I'm right to be trusting your judgment."

Starfire smirked carefully and distracted her teammate by approaching his unknowing cheek and perking her lips to plant a soft kiss to the exposed area. "Thank you for doing this Robin."

His body heated up like a flaming comet but before he could react in a positive manner a voice interrupted the warmth like a snowflake falling against the flames,

"You _guys_! So I just totally passed by this random room with big tall windows and there were lasers popping out everywhere and when I asked Tim what the room was for he said that it was for our training! And- _whoa_ was I interrupting anything?" The owner of the voice's eyes grew twice their size and his grin three times that, his eye brows knitting in an obnoxious, mischievous manner.

Starfire was surprised at how perfectly Robin had broken from his prior mood and manufactured the air of innocence "Don't be ridiculous, Beast Boy."

The green shape-shifter processed the quick denial and shrugged uncaring. "Well anyway, my point is that I totally didn't sign up for training with lasers!"

"Beast Boy, we've been through the _end of the world,_ is there really anything you wouldn't be able to do?"

"Just cause I've been through it doesn't mean I want to _again."_

"Perhaps we should all just find the rest of our friends before we conclusion hop," Starfire reasoned.

"I agree," Robin then glared mysteriously, "Maybe we'll encounter Shutdahellup."

Robin led the way silently and the latter members followed behind him.

"Was that some form of joke?" Starfire whispered.

"Probably," Beast Boy looked onto his leader pitifully and added, "Funny isn't Robin's forte though so don't be harsh on the poor fellow."

* * *

A/N:

So. It's been four years. I don't remember where I was going with this but I've always "winged" stories in the past so I'll wing this one now. I got a message that I should continue with this story and I happened to not be doing anything at the moment, and the review was right, I shouldn't abandon this story after so long. Hopefully I won't dissappoint, but to be honest, I'm not the same person I was four years ago, nor am I the same writer. Sorry if this chapter sucked. It wasn't meant to lead anywhere but I'm still working out how I'm going to finish this, which an actual plot and ending this time.

Thank you if you're still reading this. I love you all.

_Princess Lali._


	14. Chapter 14 Training

**Chapter 14 **

The training ground was buzzing with life and the ground itself seemed to vibrate with the steps of dozens and dozens of bounding and adrenaline high youthful thieves dodging crimson harmless laser beams and cramping themselves into tight corners, training their lithe bodies to prepare for future assignments.

"So this is where the magic happens, huh?" Cyborg voiced, dashing his glance from one end of arena to the other, one eye on the movement, the other calculating an estimated 50 meters across.

The ceiling was high, with small black beams poking their heads out from holes above them, emitting the visible red lasers that were prominently used.

"This place looks oddly familiar…" Raven slurred, removing her hood and swallowing down the urge to read Beastboy's thoughts.

Robin's eyes had already registered the reason for the familiarity and the said object of comparison. "It's the Titan training course."

"Except with a bunch of cooler stuff!" Beastboy exclaimed while pointing to the razors being flung from sections in the walls towards the too-ready boys and girls, flipping through the air with clumsy acrobatics.

Robin took a second to send him a quick unregistered glare.

"Impossible," Cyborg interjected half-way insulted. "We built that baby ourselves, didn't we Robin? With our own blue prints, we conceived and birthed that thing ourselves! If this is anything like the training course, they obviously modeled it after ours."

"Wronggg~" Tim obnoxiously croaked while leaning against a banister that always seemed to appear out of no where.

"Starfire." Robin admittedly whispered. Starfire shrunk into a corner and when the chime of her name rung in her ears she made a small shameful high pitched noise and giggled embarrassedly while slowly slinkering away.

"Oh no you're not," Robin briskly took hold of her orange tinted hand, and although had it been any other occasion the action would have caused both to awkwardly turn five shades of red, one was at a stand-still while the latter was holding in attempts to not blow steam out of his nose. "Starfire, gave me some…_advice_ as to how to construct the training pad and I integrated the main set frame to the blue prints when I showed them to you Cyborg."

Cyborg was flabbergasted and made numerous questionable noises that never really amounted into a coherent sentence until finally being slapped in the back of the head by Beastboy.

"Yes, well, I just figured this training arena was adequate enough and it seemed like you were in need of one so…" Starfire began and then let the statement level off by the look Robin was giving her.

"Everything," Robin whispered so that only Starfire was capable of hearing, "is starting to seem like a lie. Like I don't even know you." He faintly let go of her hand and turned back around to face the pompous Tim. "Let's just get this over with so we can finish the mission already."

Tim looked back and fourth between a defeated Kori and a furious Boy Wonder and didn't give a second thought to shrug and start clapping his hands towards the training thieves.

"Ey! Juniors! We need the arena to our selves today so go find…" He lowered his hand and waved it dismissively in the air for a second, "-something else to do."

Max lost his concentration when the lasers suddenly stopped flinging themselves at him and while he was in mid air, swinging from one artificial boulder to the next he lost his footing and landed on his behind.

Some of his comrades giggled from a corner and he shot them a threatening scold before turning back to his superior.

"But we're only two days before our big exam, we can't-"

"Tina's orders." Tim quickly cut him off mid rant.

Robin's eyes focused on the boy at hand and realized it was Shutdahellup.

"Wait," Robin stepped up to stand next to Tim and in a sublime tone he inquired about the boy. "This 'exam,'…can he use some sparring practice."

Tim pondered for a second and saw the way Max suddenly turned pale and smirked, "He actually could considering none of the other juniors can beat him and none of the other elders care to spar with someone so," he exaggerated the boy's height and emphasized the shortness, "-small."

Everyone heard a recognizable growl emit from under Max's breath.

"He's better at it than I am," Beastboy whispered to Raven.

"Well then that's that, Max you can take Robin to spar, the rest of you, we have to cover this course a total of five times, and we have models of Slade's chamber where he keeps the box already so that we become familiar with the security when it comes time."

"How did you get that?" Raven beat Robin to the punch of the question.

Tim let that ever so gratifying smirk fill his face, "We have our ways."

Robin rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the small boy who was shooting daggers at him with his gaze.

* * *

After the first two rounds of running and bounding and skittering along surfaces and getting the back ends of his green hair fried, Beastboy hit the end mark of the course while gasping for air and wishing he had just stuck to the idea of running away to the circus rather than joining the Titans.

"Well I guess that could be considered an improvement. You didn't get your hair snagged in the lasers this time and you made it here 2.45 seconds earlier than before."

Beast sluggishly turned into basset hound and waddled his way to the water fountain.

"Raven you're up again with Starfire and then it's Cyborg."

Cyborg's machinery enabled him to not feel the effects of exhaustion the same way it coursed through his shape-shiftter friend, so he stood his post without complaint.

Raven and Starfire made their way to the beginning line, awaiting the signal to begin.

"Why do they get to run through this together," Beastboy finally said after turning back into his original form.

"Cause they can both fly." Tim answered, unfocused.

"Yeah BB, do you see me with wings on my back?"

"You are always bringing me down," Beastboy shook his head disappointedly while crossing his arms.

"Say what?"

"_Starfire," _Raven bit through the recess of the alien woman's mind.

Starfire always welcomed the sweet rush of Raven's mindpower and turned her red head to face her and lock eyes for a moment.

"_I understand the need to keep secrets. But you know as well as I do that you should've told us." _The words rippled through Starfire like a flag of regret and the thief princess let her eyes drop to the floor.

"_I am sorry, my friend." _

The alarm rung at the two were almost immediately in the air, throwing their heart and skill into the course as they were trained from the start.

* * *

Back in the sparring room, one glass windowed room down from the main province next to them, Robin stood erect, awaiting his challenger's next move.

Max trembled at his feet but you wouldn't have been able to tell by the defiant look on his boyish features. They had been sparring for little over an hour and it had taken a toll on him, as red swelling welts were beginning to sting underneath his suit and his insides were screaming in protest from all the jabs Robin had taken to them from his end of the bo-staff.

"Are you sure you want to keep going?" Robin asked tediously, knowing when enough was enough.

"No!"

"Listen, I get that you don't like me, I don't have a positive interest in you either, but I'm not down to keep hurting a little kid."

Max gritted his teeth and charged without second thought with his two disc like weapons with sharp edges.

Robin flew through the air like his namesake and had the boy miss his target, landing right behind him and swinging his foot around as to trip the child and plant him on his face.

But Max was prepared for that next move and pranced away from the intended kick, rushing towards the adjacent wall and leaping his way onto one of the hanging bars from above, all of this done in nothing more than two seconds.

He propelled his body to land a two footed kick straight to Robin's chest.

Robin felt the blow of the kick stun him suddenly, as a million sensors of alarm jabbed their way up his spine and lungs. Exhaling came at a price and there was no other word but shock to define his logic on how such a small kid could easily knock the wind out of him.

It wouldn't go unpunished, and while Max chortled in his momentary brilliance, Robin spun in a complete 360 and took hold of the boy's hips in preparation to slam him down against the matted floor.

What he didn't expect was for the suit the boy was wearing to be a two piece rather than a one as most combat clothing is.

So when it was the boy's pants that completely dropped to the ground, along with Robin's cheek, the room went irkingly still for a moment or two.

Max felt the cool breeze of air condition brush past his knees and an uncontrollable yelp ripped from his throat before he could stop it. It was the cry of a dying animal.

"_MY PANTS!_"

* * *

Not a good one and you probably think it to be a really quick one but I should have the next chapter up in 2-3 days cause it's where all the big stuff starts to happening, this chapter is just like an intermission so that the climax doesn't just get there without it being prepped.

Sorry for the long wait, being a college student kinda takes up your time...

If there are gramatical errors, I plan on fixing them all once the story is completed, and it is a goal of mine to see this story finish! Eventually...lol.

Love you all,

Lali.


	15. Chapter 15 Green

**Chapter 15**

Despite the lengthening of days, and the rigorous training which followed them, the team began to get accustomed to the daily routines of sparring and eating and sparring and sleeping. The obstacles became more toilsome and unyielding, while the minutes to doom trickled into seconds. The twelfth of December was quickly approaching. The ominous cloud of winter shrouded the mansion in unexpected grief; children suddenly unable to charter the outdoors due to the dropping in temperature while others crowded in their bedrooms, uninterested in the nightclubs for favor of a warm sustaining blanket. The Titans sank into the glowing warmth of the thief hideout, accepting the perks as they came. They were getting comfortable.

Too comfortable, in Robin's opinion.

Said boy wonder rasped his gloved knuckles against the mahogany door and leaned against its frame in a very uncharacteristic manner.

"_Oh and do you remember the times we went to Club Spac_e?"

A chuckle vibrated faintly through the material against his fingertips and his heightened senses picked up the brief chitter chatter of a couple. But most importantly the giggle of a certain red-headed girl.

Robin hesitated before another knock could resound within the confinements of the Tameranean princess's room.

They must be reminiscing. Again.

Robin's deterioration into self-pity commenced as he felt his jaw clamp into an uncomfortable bite, his teeth grinding together in a symphony of frustration. Jealousy was not becoming of Robin, but the probability of that mattering to him were slim.

Every day he watched them, together. _Together._

Every day he held back another ounce of loathing, gathering the drops of hatred in a pool within his mind, taking out on the training pods, flinging himself at whatever opponent would have him, whether it be experienced or not. Mercy escaped him, and numerous times one of his members would have to intervene mid quarrel and resolve that Robin needed to be alone.

* * *

Loneliness seemed to be the only answer to the harboring green monster within him.

Raven chided him and hissed a telepathic string of words into his subconscious, demanding he relax and make peace with his mental obstructions. But he shuffled such advices off his cape and returned to his demeanor, crashing like a tidal wave upon his next obstacle.

Tina observed with calculating tan eyes and ran a single digit through the snags of her perfectly natural waved hair and smiled.

"Tim, do you sense there to be something the matter with Robin?"

The question brought a smirk to the bandits expression and he juggled the thought before opening his mouth to offer the proper response, "I'd say he's just a little…stressed out of sorts."

"I don't think so." Her voice like a velvet ribbon cut into his inside prank as she turned to face him with a reprimanding gaze. "I think it's you."

Timothy reached over to the balcony she was leaning against, watching over the Titans tire themselves with practice and cocked his head as he put the full weight of his leg against the railings, crossing his arms in pure egotistical style. "Do you think so highly of I, Tina?"

The woman scoffed lightly and wrapped a maternal arm around the boy. "Do not over-concern yourself, I think of nothing higher than the low you are," she gloated in the way his lips came up in a pout at her insult, "But I do believe you are doing certain things on purpose in order to cause the young leader hindrance, and seeing as we only have a week left to prepare for the coming onslaught I would recommend you stop trying to steal his female team companion at every opportunity you get. You know how important this is for us…"

Tim's stance slugged, shame glowing heavily on his cheeks digesting the subtle yet obvious request. _Request, ha,_ his thoughts sneered, _more like demand_. He shrugged his mentor away not too cruelly, and made a bee-line for the nearest exit, unable to stand second longer within Tina's smoldering stare. "I'll do what I please," he mentioned before fleeing, dodging the possible random object that could have been chucked at his diminishing form. Tim's bluff wasn't nearly enough to trouble her worries with, and he knew this. Tim knew that their last conversation would somehow bite into his time with Kori. Things would be different and he would have to change. Tim grimaced at the notion of bending like a blade of grass for the dimwit so-called leader to keep himself in check long enough to get this thing over with. Anger and disgrace rippled through him in waves as he reached for the knob at the door he was bee-lining himself into, promising himself this would be the last time. But as long as he had just one more time…one last moment to share alone with her…

* * *

Robin considered his many options, narrowing them down to two likely scenarios. He could karate kick the door into twin pieces as he rambled his fist into the ever condescending jaw that was Tim the Thief, confessing his everlasting love to the princess of another planet in the process, _or_ he could take a dinner plate early from the expansive kitchen and swoon in his depression on the opposite side of the corridor, alone on his guest bed, with his desolate thoughts.

He paced for a total of two seconds before rearing into position to somersault into a victorious kick and then the door opened.

Starfire clung to the thought that perhaps Robin wasn't trying to unabashedly destroy the entry to her chamber, if not he was merely taking it upon himself to stretch. Now the only question was the bizarre area in which he chose practice this action.

"Robin!" She squeaked.

Wide-eyed and embarrassed he quickly took himself back to upright position and brought a fist to his mouth, clearing his throat. "Ahem, Star, I'd like to have a word."

The young woman made way for his entry and upon first step he flashed a glance at the haughty teenage male he wished to see crippled and in great disarray. Timothy stood his ground, a smug expression dawning his features, arms crossed as per usual.

Robin seethed. "_Alone."_

Starfire's pulse raced at the cold tone her leader chose to express and she made haste of ushering Timothy out of the room.

Tim shot Starfire a "_what-do-you-think-you're-doing_," look and she knew it was only a matter of time before the experienced thief would regain his previous stance and pull up an argument that would further complicate things. Casting him an apologetic glance she shepherded him out of the room.

Then it was just Robin and Starfire.

They stood starring at each other for a moment until the silence took hold on Starfire's nerves and she reached for the edge of the bed stand, fidgeting before replacing an empty seat with her weight. To say you could've cut the thick tension in the air with the blunt edge of a butter knife would've been an understatement. "So…"

"We're spending too much time here."

Starfire felt the color of apprehension creep up her cheeks and down the incline of her neck, "Robin?"

He ignored the tug at his heart strings from the hum of his name falling like marbles from her mouth. A frown replaced what should've been a smile. "I'm just here to inform you that we'll be departing soon. I think it's time to face the problem right on and I don't see the purpose in waiting until the day." He found his footing headings towards the door. Robin's cape fluttered and the squeak of his boots did away at the terracotta tiles of Starfire's old bedroom as he prepared to exit until a warm hand stilled him.

"I neither understand what is going on either," she whispered. "But we must not leave-"

"If you want to stay, no one's stopping you." Robin snapped at her refusing to acknowledge how her fingertips held his heart to a steady beat. "I know you wouldn't want to be separated from Tim."

Had his grunt been a few decibels quieter under his breath the princess might not have caught it but once she understood the meaning behind his harsh words, she released his forearm as if she had just reached into a pot of fire without realization.

_I would not want to be separated from you, Robin._

Robin wouldn't allow himself to feel regret. He admonished the feeling repeatedly as it attempted to crawl into his consciousness. He made the mistake of glancing at her face as it fell and the ability to repress the feeling proved to be much more complicated. Without thinking his face dropped the charade and he felt himself pulling her back. Courage took over him in an act of romance as he grasped her hand in his.

Maybe it was the idea of Tim being around her again, or maybe it was the past few days ripping away at Robin's talent of falsifying his affection for the girl, but he felt raw and unnatural as he dared himself to look into the green pools in front of him; caught off guard and unsure, Starfire's lips came apart in a small gasp.

Time froze and the couple held stares, inexperienced and uncertain. Tightness coiled up in Starfire's chest. All the times she approached the alabaster door awaiting his answer, all the times she scooted a little closer to him during a movie night…all the times she captured his warm gaze as they completed yet another mission against a culprit…

Robin must've felt it first. Because before she knew it with her back pressed up against the cool silk of the sheets her ideals were suddenly mirrored in his smoldering stare. With their fingers finally enlaced, Robin recalled every moment where all he ever wanted was presented in front of him. Red hair splayed out behind her heart shaped face and emerald eyes imprisoning his every move. His heart flipped in tandem with hers, creating a crater in his ribs with how hard it was pounding.

Innocence vanished from the alien girl's eyes, replaced with an unrefined desire; an unquenchable thirst for his kiss. Every second that flashed by was shattered upon the space of the bedroom as time itself knocked on the door and it went unanswered in the moment. Robin mentally thanked the day Alfred introduced gloves into the young man's life. He was sure if Star had felt the amount of sweat dripping through the pores of the appendage that held her she would surely quirk her face into one of disgust.

She used her free hand to reach up in a tentative demonstration of tenderness, freeing the shadows of his face from its' mask and he only had time to utter one last intake of shock as the flimsy piece of fabric fell away.

Indigo melted into jade where the sky met earth.

* * *

Slade fingered the material of the gold encrusted box. The letters mocking him with his lack of knowledge for the Latin language as they danced circles around the borders of the object.

"They thought they could take this one from under my nose," he curled his grin into a pure cynical gurgle of maniacal laughter. "Come come, Titans."

The emperor of darkness cradled the box carefully in his right hand, while his left gripped the arm rest of his make-shift throne. "Come help me _eliminate_ the human race."


	16. Chapter 16 Ablaze

**Chapter 16**

"…Robin…"

Her lips struggled to form the name as her breath hitched with the passing moments. His resolve shattered beneath the way she enunciated his name. Everything felt right. From the way her lashes swept over her sun-kissed cheeks, to the manner which the sweet scent of jasmine lifted away from the curls of her lathered red hair to smother the scenes in his nose. It could be said that nothing could have ever felt more right. He floated above her, nearing naturally towards her red lips and Robin could almost faintly hear the cries of fan girls everywhere cheering him on towards his conquest. Starfire's eyes fluttered shut, awaiting the moment when his nose would brush against hers as their lips would finally- _finally _-make precious contact and-

_Knock. Knock._

"Hey, Star!"

Starfire felt the air rush through her as the pressure that had once been steadying her arms dissipated and the shadow that had been so passionately looming over her like a cloud of warmth hovered by her door. Robin's sweat gathered at the crown of his head as he gripped the door knob with all his strength, making it impossible for the perpetrator to turn it and make an unsightly entrance. Pushing his weight onto the wood he crushed his eye-lids shut, fishing around for quick excuses on the off-chance that it wouldn't be enough to keep the door closed. But without fail, he would keep it shut. Abruptly the door trembled as the force of a shape shifter's body attempted to barge in despite the absence of permission.

Behind the door, Beastboy crinkled his brows in confusion.

"Star?" He scratched his cheek.

Robin's expressive eyes motioned to Starfire as she regained her footing, folding out wrinkles in her uniform and going straight for her unruly hair, brushing it down and doing what she could with her hands alone. Starfire felt his stare and traded a look of shock for one of embarrassment.

Robin gestured his head towards the green creature unpleasantly waiting on the other side of the door and Starfire realized what it he was he was desperately trying to convey and she cleared her throat to announce her response to the green imp.

"Yes! Beastboy! Hello!" She flinched at the overly excited glitch in her voice.

Beastboy tried once again to open the unmoving door and Robin mentally reminded himself to take Beastboy up as his next sparring partner to beat the-

"Star, I think there's something wrong with your door!"

Robin swore under his breath.

"Beastboy, I am only altering my clothing, and so the door is locked."

"You have a change of clothes?"

Robin seethed.

Starfire quickly picked up the pieces of human intellect and focused on the one thing that could drive this male teammate to run backwards down the hallway.

"I do indeed! It is the time of month where I go through these sudden changes and I require personal space due to the fact that my lady parts-"

"SAY NO MORE!" Beastboy shifted into a hummingbird and maneuvered his way towards the opposite side of the mansion.

Starfire and Robin drew a sigh of relief.

* * *

Timothy swept the floor with the soles of his feet, pacing back and forth whilst biting the insides of his cheek. The gold crescents of the hallway glittered upon his sides and messed with his peripheral vision. He used to chase the shadows of his brother down the sides of the mansion until his eye-sight glazed over in a drunken stupor. He'd fall slave to the night after a day of alcoholic luxuries against the golden embellishments and often ponder the significance of his life.

He placed his bare hand upon the knob opening to the conference room and took a breath before taking a step inside.

"Titans, I thank you for have assembling here tonight."

Three pair of eyes looked back at his and he quickly deduced who it was that was missing from the meeting.

"Where are they?" The question hung in the air like a banner of disapproval and the three remaining heroes stood up from their seats in union to address the matter.

Beastboy was the first to speak, "I know where Starfire is."

"Then that's where Robin will be." Cyborg added.

Timothy curled his lip in silent distaste in the realization that they were probably still up in the alien princess's room.

He swiftly exited with one destination in mind.

Raven was the first to realize this wouldn't end well.

* * *

Robin had long ago locked the ever-troublesome door and was back to starring at Starfire, blue-eyed and heart-pulsating madly.

"I wonder why Beastboy was so-"

"Annoying." Robin took a step closer to Starfire.

"No-"

"Agitating-" Robin put one more foot in front of the other.

"No! I was going to say-"

"Completely and deliberately-"

"Persistent!" Starfire finally let out exasperated. Robin for the first time in a while let a smile stretch his lips. The no-longer masked wonder boy reached to smooth down a crimson fringe on her sun-kissed head and her grin matched his. Starfire traced her digits down the side of his face and was captured in his gaze once again.

"Your eyes are beautiful." She whispered, honesty clinging to ever syllable.

Robin became Richard for a moment and heard his mother's voice singing about the azure little robin eggs that were laid in the center of his eyes. "Starfire…"

Before either could say another word a barrage of knocks echoed across the marble floors of the chamber.

"Starfire," Timothy's voice said violently and crushed, "Robin."

Starfire blinked and suddenly the blue eyes were covered with a black and white bandana of a mask and her leader was in front of her, completely expressionless and on the case.

"Starfire!"

Robin let the door swing open and faced Tim.

"You really don't have to be so loud."

"Slade has been located. The other Titans are down in the conference room where you were fetched to be at 20:00 hours to assimilate the first attack." Tim said in a flurry of angry tones.

Robin didn't let the name Slade alter him for one moment and remained glaring. The two were parallel in emotions and murderous stares.

"Starfire," Robin addressed, "Let's go. Apparently we're late."

"What type of leader are you anyway?" Tim snapped unapologetic. "You're caught canoodling in a team member's quarters whilst the rest of your group is down there waiting for your orders."

Robin made a fist with his green hand and jammed a finger into Tim's face with the other, "I'm the type of leader that fights battles to regain justice, not to steal artifacts from unsuspecting citizens."

"_Corporations_ who are fully aware and suspecting," Timothy interjected.

"Stealing serves no purpose except to take what isn't yours because you can't work hard enough to get it _yourself."_

Tim stepped out of the way of Robin's jaded pointer finger while scoffing, "Yes, because poor innocent men like Bruce Wayne worked_ so_ hard to become millionaires, he didn't stumble across his inheritance _at all_."

Robin felt the breaking point rush past him in a river of unrestrained ability to control his actions and before he or Tim could realize, his gloved fist which was once by his side was now closed over the collar of the thief's neck-line.

Robin was too smart to let Tim or anyone know why he was broken to the point of madness and distress so he did not voice the words that fueled his anger.

Had it been not Bruce Wayne, but perhaps another entrepreneur that fell from his smug lips then there could have been a chance of Robin not requiring Raven's black magic to hold him hovering on the opposite side of the wall.

"You two are fighting like children." Raven spit the venomous statement, half-listening to the other two male team-mates of her group running behind her, attempting to catch up with the commotion.

Robin closed his eyes while Tim fell to his knees tracing the muscle connecting his neck to his shoulders, regaining his breathing pattern.

Suddenly the whole hallway blared red as a voice snaked over the speaker reminding Beastboy of the way it felt when a parasite cradled its body against one of your intestines, smirking sneakily as it readily devoured you from the inside out.

"Hello my dear old friends." Slade said, "It's been a while."

"Not long enough if you ask me." Cyborg whispered. He instinctively felt the pulse of his machinery shift into a sonic blaster, ready to fire at will.

Raven's hands glowed in an ominous blue-black while Starfire's eyes shined a brilliant green that covered her lids from end to end.

"How can you communicate with us?" Tim's voice ricocheted off the corners of the hallway in bewilderment and frustration.

Slade chuckled over the hidden speakers in the vents, "After all this, your first instinct is to question the dynamics of my ability to speak over a microphone? Robin, Robin, your choice in alliances is a bit distressing." He said condescendingly.

Robin jumped at the chance to fire back but before he could let the words rip from his throat Slade interjected once more.

"I just wanted to inform you _superheroes_ that the Pandora's box is ticking and it won't be soon before long that…well you know." He slurred and then suddenly the static in the background went silent and the hall was pregnant with anxiety.

Beastboy paled and was the first to raise the question, "How does he always manage to do that?"

Robin slammed his fist against the wall he was being held against and broke Raven's concentration on him.

"Titans, we have to move out," he grounded out.

"Move out where?" Tim lashed back sarcastically, "Tina and I are the only ones who have the coordinates to his location. You need us."

"Yeah dude, unfortunately we got nothing." Cyborg added.

"We've found him before without help, we can do it again." Robin stood firmly and flung his cape back over his shoulder. "Like I just told Starfire a moment ago, we can't just keep waiting around here for Slade to take action, and now he has the head start."

"And like I was saying while you were _with_ Kori, we've developed a plan to move out but since you were up here we weren't out there!" Timothy was shouting and had conjured the attention of some of the juniors as well as Red X.

There was a sudden heat behind Robin's ears, streaming down his neck, drenching him in embarrassment.

"The more time we spend here pointing fingers, the less time the world has to be saved," Red X mentioned through his voice mask while casually scuffing his leather clad foot against the marble beneath him.

"Let's hear the plan." Raven took another step forward, lowering her navy hood. "It's the best we can do, you know that Robin."

Swallowing his pride, the leader of the Titans followed the migrating group towards the conference room, fully aware of the fact he had in a less mature terminology for the word, fucked up. With a quick glance Starfire attempted to place where Robin's mind was, keeping a concerned look on her face. He shifted his vision temporarily to catch the stare but quickly moved forward ignoring the look altogether. Starfire sighed, realizing the moment may have been forever gone and Slade had taken priority once again.

But a voice in the back of her mind whispered, gradually getting stronger.

_You have grown selfish, Koriand'r._

_Selfish indeed_, Starfire thought.

* * *

"So run by me again how we're going to go unnoticed, just waltzing into Slade's cave of misery and destruction!" Beastboy was holding the ends of his green hair in his fisted hands, breathing heavily and attempting to regain composure.

Cyborg rolled his eye and placed a firm bionic hand on the shape shifter's head, stilling him.

"You will not go unnoticed."

Everyone turned to stare at the Queen Bee of the mansion, long tan legs sweeping about the floor like a floating jasmine miracle.

"If he knows we're coming he'll be ready and we won't." The mind-reader said matter-of-factly.

"He already knows you're going." Red X mumbled.

"The only chance we have of beating him and retrieving the box before he unleashes the magic is to hit him full force, despite his preparation." Tim slammed his fist against his open palm.

"We're going to need cover, in case Slade does anything behind our backs." Cyborg placed a digital finger on the gate marking the entrance to the cave. A map of the perimeter was graphed on the touch-screen in front of them, creating a blue glow on all their faces. The map was immature, as they were able to locate the Tyrant but unable to place the exact locations of every nook and corner. The entrance itself was very probable to not be an entrance at all.

"That's why we have X." Tim motioned to the masked theif and immediately Red X scowled in protest.

"What do you mean, That's why we have X." Red X repeated in a mocking manner, striding over to Tim. "Tina begged me to come here so I could help in combat, not stake out and keep watching like a little bird." Red X smirked and glanced at Robin, "Wouldn't you say that's more his job?"

Robin stayed quiet, calming his mind and keeping his eyes focused on the map. Tina stood abruptly from her heavy chair and opened her mouth, "Begged? I asked for your aid in anything it is we ask of you. There was no mention of such combat." She shook her head unsatisfied with his upheaval. "You are welcome to leave any time you wish." Tina took her place once again down firmly on the chair, a smug look marring her sharp features.

Starfire took a tentative step near the glowing screen and placed her delicate finger tips on the opposite side of the building, tracing the diagram where another entrance might be. "I will be here."

Robin, unable to keep quiet for long said, "Absolutely not."

"You're right Robin," Tim nodded, "You can't alone Kori. I'll be there with you."

Robin gagged, "She has to stay with her team!"

Beastboy gripped Starfire's hand and looked desperately into her emerald eyes, "Star, you know you're not thinking clearly," he gulped, "You know this is probably the hormones talking, and I think you have to just listen to Robin."

Raven's eyes turned cobalt as they registered what Beastboy was suggesting while Cyborg lifted his brows in confusion.

Everyone in room froze for a second.

"Beastboy, I am fine." Starfire finally said. "On Tameran, there are no hormones of which you speak of." Beastboy shook his head disappointed. "Denial, denial, deni-_aaaaaaaaaaaah_!" Raven snaked her black magic around his jade-green neck and he instinctively transformed into a struggling octopus with bugged out eyes.

"Awkwardness aside," Robin started with the motion of his hand, "Let's start embarking. I'll be on the R-cycle, Beastboy you can take Cyborg and the rest of you can fly I presume."

Starfire grasped her bare arm right below the shoulder, minding her arm brace and bit her lip. "Robin, I can always take you." She whispered to him carefully.

Robin narrowed his eyes, "Star, we're on a mission here."

The alien girl felt a prick at the back of her neck as anger seeped into her nervous system. She down-casted her eyes and hovered over to the group where everyone was preparing for battle. Tim caught her arm gently, "Be careful out there, and try to stay by me at all times."

Starfire mistook his warning and was quick to respond, "I'm not a child, Timothy." The emphasis on his full name made him wince but he took the blow and repeated his former warning and Starfire was left to face the fact that Tim might have been serious. As Tim looked back at Starfire one final time before taking air, she caught his look of defeat. Like he had just been told that his brother had died all over again. But he wasn't looking at Starfire, he was looking at Tina. And Tina nodded and smiled in her luke-warm manner, ushering him to leave. Confusion hit Starfire like a pellet of broken glass and that was when she realized there was a second plan. A plan neither she nor the Titans knew about. But she kept this information to herself, flying through the air, feeling the quick breeze of the clouds swirl her red hair into a mess of tangles.

"Just up ahead, we're 125 kilometers off target." Robin's voice blared into static over the communicator.

"125 kilos, Rob that's not just up ahead." Cyborg responded quickly afterwards.

Robin gripped the steering handles of his motor bike and reared it up as he blasted forward, much faster than before, leaving behind only floating sprays where the asphalt was removed by the durability of his tires; a mist of black dust followed him.

Beastboy had morphed into a giant flying creature from the planet Tameran and Cyborg was riding him checking and double checking the distance to their destination. Cyborg sighed as he noticed Robin's communicator was double its distance every few seconds and 120 kilos was in fact only minutes away from Robin.

"Starfire, do you read me?" He voiced over.

Starfire pressed a finger to her ear mid-flight to respond. "I read you, Cyborg."

"Robin is gaining ground a lot faster than BB or Raven can fly, but maybe you and Tim can catch up to him."

Starfire rolled her eyes in a very uncharacteristic type manner. All that talk about staying as a team…

"I am on it." Their conversation did not go unnoticed as Tim glided nearest to Starfire. His fingers twitched as he flew closer towards her and their arms bumped together, surprising the alien out of her revere.

"Listen Kor," He spoke loudly, the gusting wind swallowing his words just after they reached her ears, "You and I both know I can't fly as fast as you." The information hadn't dawned on her, she had been informed of such knowledge once before when she was a child during training. Nick and Tim were born with only one parent holding the power of flight. They were not tameraneans, they were not children of a warrior planet. Their powers were limited and their ability to speed through the clouds of Earth went unmatched against hers.

_Catch him_, Raven whispered to her telepathically. Starfire gasped, always welcoming the surprising caress of her monotone voice against her subconscious. _You're the only one who can._

"And I don't want you to be separated from us." Tim fisted his hands, "From _me_."

Starfire felt the decisions way down on her as she starred down on the glittering earth, glowing in a luminous fashion show of lights all around her.

Starfire suddenly felt the rush of clouds roll like waves on her back as she turned to face the galaxy of stars above her and slipped away into the speed of her alien blood, surging her forwards and the last thing she heard was her full name ripping from Timothy's voice, blistering the atmosphere with its desperation.

_We're on a mission here_, she reminded herself. Casting love to all abandon, feelings and all, she crippled the air as gravity feared her, ripping through the sky with one target in mind.

* * *

Robin couldn't fly. Robin couldn't shoot lasers from his eyes or lift objects on mind will-power alone. Robin was born and reborn, first as a boy and later as a fighter for justice. He could do things most nobody can do. Gadgets being his disguise, he had single-handily taken down villains with the beats of his fists alone. And so as he sped through the lone streets of this sleeping city he felt golden. He felt no remorse for his past actions, and his regards went to Slade, for the minute they would face each other once again would be his last in the clutches of freedom. Robin stayed straight faced and solid with the one fact that they were going to take down the bad guy, and everything would be right with the world again.

That is until he felt his bike suddenly jerk towards the side and he had to react quickly to straighten out the tires once more. Instinctively he starred upwards, craning his neck to catch sight of a beautiful mirage dappled in red. A crimson trail appeared and disappeared as a streak of fire seemed to open up the sky, dividing it like the red sea. Robin had never seen something so spectacular, eying the brilliance as it zoned in ahead, shimmering like a scarlet beacon, urging him to continue; to go farther. The bleeding sky rose an anticipation in him that he had not known, while conjuring up again the hopes of a broken boy, fallen and lost on the bottom of a circus floor.

* * *

Little eyes pressed up against the windows of a nearby city widening in shock and bewilderment, catching sight of the firework that was Koriand'r, Princess of Tameran in the Vegan System, Escaped slave of the Citadel, Survivor of the Psions experimentation, and Starfire a Teen Titan.

_Prepare yourself Slade_, was the last registered thought Raven could grasp from Starfire as she slipped into oblivion.

There was a fire ablaze on the skyline tonight.

* * *

A/N: I'm trying to finish this. I want to. Thanks for staying with me.


	17. Chapter 17 Desperation

**Chapter 17**

"What were the chances," Slade, almost giddy, ran a metallic finger against the shaft of box that slowly pulsed with dark energy, "What were the chances that our very own Princess of Thieves, would be the one to join us first this lovely afternoon."

The robotic slave in front of the tyrant simply looked at him, as if he were looking past him, through him; red beady eyes blinking in machine tones, the way they always did. Slade designed them to be this way, but now as all he wanted to do was have his dark chuckle be heard, he silently pitied himself for not harboring some type of companionship. Some type of human life to join him in these moments of triumph. He pushed such mundane desires aside and focused back to the security camera, reflecting the image of a red-headed alien girl, cautiously floating down from the sky to land on his front steps. Slade made a gesture with his hands and off the robotic slave went, silently understanding his command.

"Entertain her," Slade murmured into the darkness.

* * *

Starfire peered around her surroundings, narrowing her eyes to concentrate better in the far away dark corners. There was a giant metal door in front of her, simple and shadowy. She calculated that it would be possible to rip apart the doors and make her entrance, but if Robin were present, he might have mentioned that it would be to brash and blow their cover. Starfire rolled her eyes and made her way to the door, completely dedicated to doing just what her leader would be warning her against. But just as she presented the door with her gripping fingers, it burst apart on its own and automatically Starfire flew back to the safety of a few feet away and her hands glowed with the fire of her bolts.

Out came the robotic soldiers, lining up in an eerily silent fashion, staring at her as if awaiting her first move. Starfire quickly crossed her arms, emerald bolts brightening in a display of onslaught terror. The robot merely stilled, red eyes bleeding an artificial light. With her arms across her chest she bellowed a war cry and ran towards them, uncrossing her arms rapidly and creating a wall of energy that rippled against the air, catching the humanoid robots in their chests, a line of green laser type energy causing them to spark in disrepair and fall towards the floor in front of the door. A second line of henchmen appeared and in greater number than before, except this time all their hands were crossed against their chests, the same as her a moment ago.

Starfire in a second of confusion was suddenly blown away as their arms ignited in a crimson light, creating a streak of fire against her, pushing her to the floor, in a dizzying stroke.

"What," she mouthed, unable to dodge the attack and blinking past the pain to witness them charging their next assault. She squeaked as she jumped towards the sky, barely getting past the next streak of red blaring light.

"It's clone adaptability," A voice explained elegantly.

Starfire snapped her head up to see the image of Slade come away from the darkness within the doors.

"A wonderful technique, wouldn't you agree?"

The alien princess reeked the image of displeasure and without second thought snapped a large green bolt towards the figure. One of Slade's soldiers careened into the alien bullet and let himself take the full hit, falling to the floor in pieces and sparks. A rush of anger flooded Starfire and she surged towards Slade, her green eyes glowing in preparation for shooting lasers at him but Slade merely palmed a hand towards her and more soldiers had red glowing eyes, all aiming towards her body and just as Starfire was garnishing them with her eyes, they reflected the skill, knocking the wind right out of her as the pain burned through her skin and she fell out of the sky like a shot dove, racing to the ground in a red streak of lightning.

"Bring her in," Was his only response as he disappeared into the darkness of the chamber.

* * *

"What do you mean you asked her to catch up to me?!" Robin seized the communicator in his ear, his pulse beating in his ear at the realization that Starfire's signal was severed.

Cyborg could be heard clearing his throat, "Rob-I asked her to try to get to you before you got to Slade on your own and-"

"Why would you do that?!" Robin screeched in a very sinister fashion, rearing his motorcycle, only to disdainfully notice he was already at the turbo speed and couldn't go any faster.

"It was unanimous decision, by all of us, Robin," a voice slithered in.

"Raven," Robin started.

"We're a team, and you had decided to go on ahead of us," She condoned, and Robin visibly sweat dropped through the receiver.

"Well where is she now?" Robin said in a clipped tone.

"I don't know man," Cyborg pushed some more touch-screen button on his arm as Beastboy swayed against the wind below him, "I'm telling you, she's gone, off the radar. She must be inside."

"Slade has her," Tim's sudden monotone voice interrupted, having been given a communicator recently to converse with the team members during battle. Robin still wasn't used to it but he merely narrowed his eyes through his mask into fine slits.

"I'll find her," Robin said finally pushing the argument aside.

Robin ignored the feel of the wind whip against his arms and was savagely making sharp turns, cutting through pavements of the streets in a devilishly risky behavior, weaving through the traffic that suddenly appeared ahead of him, making the horns of their beeping ring in his ears like useless noise. Too slow, he was going too slow. He reached up to his red and black helmet that encased his head like a vortex of protection and tossed it aside like rubbish, anything to lighten the load of his bike and make him go faster; make him reach her sooner. The helmet crashed into the ocean side railing of the road but he was already too far away to hear its splash hit the water.  
"You're almost there Robin, it's right ahead of you, there's no point if you're dead, be careful!" is what Raven whispered in a snapping tone that made him clench his jaw. He made an angry sound as he gripped the small communicator in his ear and crushed it before whisking it away the way he did the helmet. And before he could breath another breath he witnessed the doors of Slade's haven appear in front of him and he knew too suddenly that breaking the bike would not stop it in time and he made a minute decision to flip away from the bike and watched as he tumbled onto the dirt in scrapes, his precious bike blossom into a mushroom of fire, destroying the neighboring trees. But he cared less than he thought he would as he rushed towards the metallic doors, kicking and screaming Starfire's name like a maniac.

"Starfire!" he banged his muscular legs against the material but it was fruitless.

Robin heaved a breath and then stepped away from the door, attaching a single beeping bomb onto the door and sprinting away from it as it counted down from five. 4...3...2...Robin was blown into the air for a second but he expertly found the dirt beneath his shoes and pivoted to face the doors, unchanged except for a blast of dark coloration against their otherwise pristine silver shades.

"Damn," he cursed, rushing up to the doors again, instead this time attaching three bombs, and repeating his last endeavor.

* * *

Through the lens of a camera, Slade felt a marvelous grin spread against his face, in almost complete satisfaction. "It seems one of your many rescuers has come to pay a visit, Princess." His voice was velvety and luchious and Starfire made out the blurry image of his shape through her large green pupils. She was juxtaposed in a strange position, chained to the ceiling, hanging like a useless piece of meat. She mumbled something but it went unnoticed, as the very force to mutter something escaped her and she was embraced with atrophy and exhaustion. She was very aware of the fact she had been drugged somehow, and despite her desire to conjure a happy thought and lift into the air, flight was as senseless and far away from her possibility, as the chances were of her snapping out of the daze she was in. Slade approached her slowly but almost magically, as if appearing from thin air in front of her and she lazily thought that the drug was affecting her in strange ways, if she was picturing Slade appearing before her like magic. She hardly felt the cool steel of his finger tracing the edge of her bruised cheek, steadily pinking once more.

"You heal magnicificantly fast, my darling." Slade said in a hushed tone.

Starfire struggled against her restrictions once again, suddenly fueled with the energy to escape the caress of her captor. Slade copied his movement on the other cheek and then his mouth was at her ear, somewhere beneath his mask, and he whispered to her in a low voice, "Isn't this…reminiscent?"  
Starfire's vision blared emerald but she unable to zap Slade with her power, unable to release the anger that was burning within her, ready to seep out like pus to an infection.

"Ah yes…I do believe it is…." Slade fingered the metallic braces holding her to the ceiling and he admired the way he had held her, trapped and vulnerable. "You were a captive once before, weren't you?" He murmured letting his hands fall to her exposed hips, and then running them back up the angles of her figure, resting right below her rib cage. Starfire felt tears pulse angrily against her eyes and she muffled a scream.

"Shh," Slade shushed, gently and almost sinisterly letting his hands roam skittishly close to her breasts.

"You see, this is Volorium Steel," her eyes snapped open at the mention of the material and Slade chuckled, "Yes, I had it specially transported from your planet. It seems like they used it specifically to restrain even the most strongest of Tameraneans, the ones that caused trouble, and you my dear, have caused me much trouble. Especially that little team of yours. So don't even bother trying to break free from those cuffs, you won't do it. You can't do much in that position, but you can watch as I destroy all your-little-friends." He emphasized the last three words, with long strides of his tongue, ripping her apart with every syllable pronounced through his stiff lips.

His breath fed through the vents of his mask and she felt it for the very first time, against her skin at the base of her neck and never had she felt so uncomfortable, susceptible, and unprotected. At the back of her mind, she wished to wish for things that were expected of her. To mumble Robin's name through the thick fabric caught in between her lips, pressing against her tongue in a most disagreeable manner. But she stalled, aware that she was in a position she could have only put herself in and she was through with playing this character she wasn't fond of.

She was tired of being saved and being the one that let someone take a toe and run away with her leg. A euphemism she learned here while her time here on Earth. Too long she had played the damsel and she was never raised to be such a girl. War and slavery and torture had toughened her, sharpened the blade of her mind and she was done with hanging from ceilings, letting the touch of an evil man flutter against her skin like a stain, draping her and suffocating her. Starfire forced her mind to catch focus, to calm and to breathe, and finally as Slade made the last attempt to turn away from her and pay his attentions to Robin, and the other Titans, she closed her eyes.

The darkness that followed was alike a peace she had never known, letting it envelop her and instead of allowing the steel surrounding her orange wrists to cause her pain, she welcomed the cool feel of the familiar native material. Within the silence of her mind she dislocated her thumb from her hands and thanked Slade for providing the cloth in her mouth that stifled the scream. She was inescapably rendering her vision to sharpen, and it was then that she lifted her eyes to see her friends commune on the screen in front of her, disclosing how to get through the obstacle that was Slade's entrance.

* * *

"So you want me to stay here," Red X crossed his arms and laid his body against the frame of his crimson bike.

Robin had still been unable to formally communicate with anyone, since the disappearance of his alien team-mate and Beastboy took the opportune moment to replace him, albeit in a doubtful fashion. "I think so."

Raven was by Robin's side, conjuring black magic to break apart the doors, while Cyborg was circling the perimeter for other ways of forced entry, and Timothy was hanging behind, mulling over something that no one gave a second thought to. Robin was losing supplies, and quickly. He reached a breaking point of desperation as he took out a blade and etched its sharp end into the small, barely there crevice in between the doors. He made a strangled noise as it was to no avail that the doors did not come apart.

"Robin," Raven's voice quavered, and he felt the peaceful monotone solitude of her voice reach him in a way no one else's really could. She had seen his demons, and forced herself into the shadows of his mind. There was little he could do and he finally glanced at one his team-mates and Raven was taken back by what she saw in that face. His eyes were a mystery but his mouth was agape, panting, while his shoulders were slightly slumped, as if in retirement, ready to give up and die. She didn't wish to see what was behind that mask.

"Robin we'll get to her, don't lose hope."

"Yeah dude, don't worry so much, we're here and she's there and this stupid door is gonna come down." Beastboy interjected, fisting his hands against his uniformed hips. Raven gave him a look, "X?" She questioned. Beastboy nodded almost arrogantly and said, "I got it taken care of."

Cyborg reappeared, jogging to catch up to him, and the rest of his team were expectant of what he had to say. "There's nothing man, these doors are our best chance."

Robin nodded, accepting this information in a passive manner. He let his vision capture their glances and he shifted from one team member to the other, until he finally saw them all together, ready for the fight ahead of them. As prepared as any team would be, golden and great.

He turned to face the wall and crouched once more, ready to hit the door with everything he had and opened his mouth to say, "_Titans together!_"

* * *

Tina felt the weight of the world sit on her chest and she found her breath come labored and unrelaxed, unable to bring herself to find the peace that had once engulfed her. Had she known that the hearts and minds of three alien children from so long ago would bury their way into her very essence, perhaps she would not have decided to start the project of scooping kids off the streets and training them to bid her pray-tells, but alas here she was, dealing with the after effects of love and the loss that normally accompanied such flimsy desires.

Finding Tim and Nicholas was a treasure. When word had first surfaced of a pair of flying twins towards the south of town, causing disaster in their wake, she was the first to pin point their exact location. Rejoicing in a conceited way, chortling her way into the small den of a home in an alley. She quickly amended her joyous emotion with one of despair when she saw them, clothed sparingly and dirty from head to toe, skin and bones. Nicholas had been the first to see her and stood proudly in front of his brother, his little fists finding their way into her heart almost immediately. She had loved them from that moment till the next and then forever.

Had she known it would come to this….had she been aware that it would ultimately become a matter that festered and grew in a destructive way at the bottom of her dark soul, perhaps….perhaps….she would wish to have never met them at all. Maybe she could convince herself of such things and run to stop Timothy from what he was about to do. Maybe she would be half-way there, crying and desperate, begging for Kori's forgiveness and stopping Slade herself, saving humanity and her sanity in one leap. But she stilled, crumpling the old article of the Pandora Box in her hand, and letting the tears fall, as she did many times before.

Patricia found her there, dissolving into a fit of sobs on the carpeted floor. Tina did not leave her mansion that night, and allowed to happen what only she could have stopped. The cogs would turn, and it would be at her hand, and all because she had met two little boys in an alley one night, alone and needing of a mother.

* * *

Tim had faded into the background. A wallflower, steadily walking farther and farther away from the group until he was halfway around the building, opening his hand-held gps and finding the door he was looking for. He palmed his hand against a invisible reader and in a burst of cerulean light, a door manifested in front of him, allowing him entry into the fortress. He ducked his head and made his way inside, letting the chill of betrayal rest like an old friend against the back of his neck.

* * *

A/N: Hay der, I haven't finished editting this one completely, so I'm sorry if things were read strangely.


	18. Chapter 18 Wonderful

**Chapter 18**

* * *

**A few years ago...**

_Nicholas pressed his lips together_, starring off into the distance, letting his thoughts kindle around his mind until he lost focus of what he was looking at and the world was left to a strange blur in front of him. Kori flawlessly landed beside him in an eerily quiet type way that often left him breathless. But today he just sat, and let her presence invade him until he could no longer ignore her standing there, silently watching him.

There wasn't much time before she broke the pregnant tension between them anyway, so before she could muster the will to move her lips, he was determined to beat her to it-

"What are you doing?" She asked.

The boy glared suddenly, as if deeply disturbed and shrugged his shoulders noncommittally, trying to avoid the conversation. Another battle lost.

"You are thinking." She answered her own question as Nicholas predicted and then she smoothly sat herself next to him, dangling her feet off the building's skyline, and peering off into the mist of the morning.

He nodded, and swiped at his nose; a cold was coming on. His ears were starting to feel plugged and he was slowly losing his sense of acute hearing. It came in handy many times, and he was not one to allow people to sneak up behind him. So now shouldn't be the time for sicknesses, but there he was, sniffling.

"...Earthlings, are not ones to automatically exchange information without being thoroughly provoked, but I was hoping this would not be one of those instances," Kori crossed her legs and leaned back on the weight of her palms. She crooked a pretentious brow at the boy and he finally released a pent up sigh, feeling it all the way down to his toes.

"I was just thinking."

"Acknowledged."

"Well I was thinking about something I read in the newspaper."

"Newspaper..." She carried the word in her mouth and felt it out like a marble on her tongue, circuiting her brain to piece together the meaning, "Those little dirty black and white booklets that litter the streets?"

"Precisely." He grinned, "You're getting good at this."

She playfully shoved him, and he had the grace to not do the same in return, rather just chuckling. "What about the 'Newspaper?" She emphasized, making little motions with her red-head, in mockery.

"It had a headline this morning, about a group of kids,"

"Kids?" She interrupted, leaning into him, curious.

"Teenagers. Like us."

"Like us," She echoed.

"Yeah," He stopped suddenly and she could sense he was feeling uncertain and uncomfortable about something but she made no mention of it. She merely sat there and waited, counting down the seconds until he would go on with the explanation of his thoughts. There next heist wasn't for a while anyway. They had a good few hours until Tina would ask them to report to their next target. And then she wanted to go out for some of that 'pizza' stuff. She wasn't a fan of the cheese; it was lacking in substance, but she figured it was better than most things they had here. She often missed her home food. While Nicholas pondered his train of thought, Kori picked up the pieces of her muffled memory and recalled the lavishing tables, decked with portions of the most recent kill; chalices filled with rich textures of the naturally grown beverages; father and mother explaining to her the importance of how the export of Volorium steel was the only thing sustaining their economy. Small things, details; lost in the background.

Nicholas finally opened his mouth then, just as she was beginning to manifest her memories into movies behind her eyes, "Wouldn't it be cool if we joined them?"

Kori lifted her head then, and slowly let her eyes roam over his form, "What are you...?"

"I mean I know it's stupid but," He paused again and she almost groaned. "But I don't know. All this stealing...we're good at it but we could be just as good on a team fighting for...for justice, don't you think? Using our powers for good. Instead of just...taking things all the time. It's getting boring, right?" He was unsure of himself.

He finally let his vision transfix on her and all the ages felt hot on him, as he was reminded once again that he was no longer a boy, and she was no longer a little girl. The bodice she was wearing clung to her, and her face, once round and cute; was gorgeous. He gulped and managed to look away. "I mean I know we won't do it, but we can. We can."

"Perhaps," she finally said after a moment. She reached for his hand then, and he let her hold it. He let himself want to let her hold it and it was a second of perfection; young and innocent but perfect all the same.

Hope was a flame. A single douse of fresh air, warmed by the thought of something better; something greater. Nicholas knew of hope, lived off hope. When he was on the streets, hiding away in the shadows and living off the fortune of others without their knowledge, he had known hope as a provider, as a friend. It traveled alongside him when it rained, when it snowed, and when the bones of his ribs were countable and many on the nights that he had to take off his shirt to let his brother survive the night. Nicholas welcomed the notion of life beyond, and always a distance away. He would do it tonight. He would ask Koriand'r tonight to fly into the unknown with him and enter a world of justice; fight as a Teen Titan and call themselves heroes. Right after their last jewel job, he had a bag packed just for them, and even with or without Timothy, and especially without Tina (god bless her soul,) they would come out from the darkness and join the hope that blossomed within him. The headline was just the beginning, but he saw an end to his suffering for a higher truth. Nick felt Kori's hands begin to tighten around his in an affectionate manner.

He smiled at her, a brilliant smile that could have warmed the sun itself and she had a feeling something would happen today.

Something wonderful or not, she could not say.

* * *

When the doors opened in front of them, the Titans spared no time and rushed inside without a second thought. Robin held one gloved hand fast to his utility belt, ready for immediate action, if thus asked for such and the others moved in tandem alongside him. The walls surrounding them were suffocating in hues of copper and silver, and the steam from the pipes above them blurred their vision, momentarily. Cyborg was given a look and without a moment's notice his shoulder popped open and a light shone through the darkness, illuminating the way in a blueish artificial hue. Beastboy blinked, uneasily and inwardly missed the gentler glow of his alien friend's firepower. They came to a crossing of many lanes, leading in many directions. This seemed to happen more often than not and Robin silently cursed the slight interruption. These things never worked in their favor and he refused to split up the group unless he absolutely had to; impulse was not his partner tonight.

"Raven," Robin demanded without further explanation and she stopped in mid-hover to criss cross her legs and whispered the three words of enchantment to release her mind further than they had walked, allowing a dark cloak, a silhouette of her figure to pass onwards, searching for the thoughts of their friend that would link them to their destination. She felt the faint pressure of Starfire linger in her thoughts, but as quick as it came, it quickly retreated and Raven gasped, falling on the back of her hands and feeling her hood caress the back of her neck as it lay limply off her head. "Can't," was all she allowed as she tried discerning herself what had just occurred.

Robin made a small noise of displeasure and silently signaled the traditional cue for everyone to split up.

Before Raven could wordlessly join up with him, Robin gave her a look that spoke too many words that he couldn't convey. Without the need to feel and read his thoughts Raven knew what was behind that gaze. She saw the dread and fear masked by an appearance to be the leader. She saw the need for every lane to be occupied so that the odds of finding her would be tripled and not lessened.

She nodded and flew off on her own.

Robin continued on, hearing his own steel shoes make clicking noises against the hard surface of the building. It nagged at him, sounding like the ticks on a clock, taking away the seconds he could be near her. This didn't happen often. Starfire was not one to be captured and be taken away by some negative force. The only times she was not by his side in one way or another since the moment they met was when she took upon herself to leave. Once, she was entrapped by an alien cadet and Robin's heart was similar to the way it was now. Beating out of control, breaking his ribs in a way only an emotional dagger could wield. And before it was quick, between the capture and the rescue there were only minutes; now in comparison he felt the hour nudge against him and this was Slade. _Slade._

Had the Devil had her, he'd feel more at ease.

* * *

Starfire let her palms slip from their constraints as Slade curled his steel gloved hand around the railing to peer deeper into the screen in front of him, mousing the Titans further into his trap. The alien princess made her silent waltz towards Slade, her green fist burning as it clenched, prepared to unleash mad and unsettling fury upon her captor. She reached forward with all her strength and before Slade could position himself apart from her he was in her grasp, his covered neck trapped between her collarbone and her arm that was unbearably stronger than his would ever be. _Alien strength_, he thought silently, _so unfair._

"Funny, how Volorium Steel just can't mold to the body the way other contraptions do." He struggled through calm breaths but Starfire narrowed her eyes as she tightened the grip. Slade was about to lift his knee to deliver a bone crushing blow to her knee but she wrapped herself around him with one leg like silk, letting the upper seal of her violet gray boot chaff against his silver clad one.

Starfire felt a flush of hatred encompass every thread and pore of her body. She would kill him here and end it. But first,

"Where's the box?" She seethed.

Slade chuckled darkly and Starfire brazened her arm tighter against his neck and heard the chipping of his armor beneath her skin. Her leg held on tighter against him as she held her balance.

"I would've hoped to get to know each other better than this before we got this close," Slade gasped. Starfire growled something sinister and wriggled her hand free to get a better grip on his throat.

"I know you well enough," She spoke, unrelenting.

"Then you must know of my accomplice!" He chirped in the only way Slade could, if you wanted to call it a chirp, oozing with all the confidence that came with being completely sure of the definite future. Starfire didn't have time to complete her comprehension of the statement and in a split second she was untangled from her post and blasted against the opposite wall by the sheer force of a familiar strength.

Her mind grew fuzzy, still not unable to completely shake the drug effect and with the darkness shrouding them, the person that had thrown her grew into a single shadowy silhouetted against the slight glow of the machines that went on with or without them.

Starfire tucked a stray wild strand of red hair behind one of her sensitive ears and glared bright emerald fire gems at the figure, prepared to take it down without second thought, but for some reason resistance perpetrated her intentions and she let her tongue act against her will so she asked, "Who are you?"

Right then and there the Titans spilled into the room like tycoons after an oceanic earthquake, with all the strength and power that came behind it.

"Starfire!" Robin bellowed at her, and although they could not see each other clearly, the alien princess had a pearly white smile at the sound of his voice.

"Robin!" She made move to rush at him, to protect him, to stand beside him, but an arm shot out with a bar of Volorium steel extended and it took the air out of her as she let out an 'oof,' and slammed back, falling on her rear.

Robin heard himself growl but before he could act, Raven's fist glowed a dark violet and she shielded him, "Wait, " she stepped forward, curiosity lingering beneath her scowl, "Who's there?" She gestured to a spot in the corner where Starfire had been glaring into not a moment ago.

All eyes targeted the out of place shape that was slowly moving its way into the light, all except Slade who had quietly stepped back to gather something into his arms.

"It's me."

His voice appeared like a magician's trick, a play on the mind and Starfire couldn't hold her heart long enough, and so it dropped, crashing somewhere beyond her feet. The thought that Timothy of all people could be capable of such dishonorable actions, crippled her. The fact that he _did_, killed some part of her. It destroyed the hope that shone behind her eyes, and the green glow that flickered in her fists died, and all that was left was a vulnerable hand, unclenched and sitting alongside her hip as it dangled there, useless and unmoving.

"Should've known," Raven raised her hand to wrap her sorcery powers around his body, her voice as sinister and violent as her will to crush his courage and leave him defenseless on the copper ground. But as the raven claw of her manifestations reached him, it diminished entirely and she gasped. "How?" She breathed and clutched at the place where her indigo hood met; at the apex of her chest plates.

Robin moved then like lightning, cruising at high pitch speeds towards his number one enemy, charging with the intent to deliver a fatal blow. Slade looked Robin in the eyes and time slid by like molasses between one act and the next. He released the power of the box before the Boy Wonder could reach him and Slade was the last person to witness the way his face lost all its color and the light of hope distinguish in one rapid moment from his features. A force field protecting the enchantment that was about to take place blossomed around Robin's body.

Starfire had three seconds to let her thoughts take shape into words as someone in the back of her subconscious viciously whispered to her,

_It's happening again._

His body lifted into the beam of light, a puppet with tethered strings, flung into the air in a way that Starfire had never seen before. Engulfed in a beautifully bright blue hue, he was cradled upon the surface of the invisible hand of a god, his hair swaying away from his face and every limb hanging limp to his sides; useless and unmoving. The Titans held their breath, unsure of what to think, or what to grasp. Starfire was the only one to scream out into the nothingness, willing her voice alone to bring back her leader; but bring him back to what? Life?

_No_, Beastboy was the first to come out of the trance, morphing into a tiger and rearing his emerald stripped head into a roar as he crashed his body into the transparent force field.

"It's futile," Raven's hoarse voice echoed out to him but he didn't stop. Cyborg was next to blast a energy filled void alongside Beastboy, but once again it met resistance, and Robin simply stayed frozen in time in front of them. Starfire screamed, "Robin! Robin!"

Timothy fell to his knees, unable to look above him. Starfire searched for him, honing in on every sense she could possibly, genetically, project and found him, knelt over and crying, and she forgot what it was to feel pity; to comprehend forgiveness.

"You did this!" She screeched lunging for his neck, but he simply starred, letting her alien strength turn his face blue and unnatural. Starfire, blinded by the terrible rage within her, ignored the fat tears that streaked down his cheeks. He struggled only to speak, but even then he lost the will to exert more effort and his tongue fell limp and lead-like at the roof of his mouth. And then the sound of thunder crashed and crinkled surrounding them and Starfire released him to focus on Robin's body as it dropped unceremoniously onto the ground. She flew out to hold him, and Starfire weaved her hands through his raven locks, pushing another hand underneath his spandex uniform to feel for a heartbeat, a movement, some sign of life.

Cyborg approached and touched a single mechanic finger to an exposed piece of skin on his neck. He felt a heavy sigh ache in his lungs as he willed Robin to conjure a heartbeat.

"He's gone..."

There was a sound like that of a strong breeze willowing in through the caverns of the man-built cave. It made everyone turn to see Slade making his way down the steps. The Titans had faced end of the world scenarios. They had been knocked senseless, numerous times, turned friend against friend, and still rose from the ashes like phoenixes prepared for battle; they had paid witness to the Devil ripping apart their homeland, and battled within the emptiness of the galaxy, finding their ways back to each other from different planets, strewn across the stars like particles of dust; and yet nothing could have prepared them for this. There was a fire that had quelled and subsided within all of them, burning out until not even an ember could be seen flickering in the recess of their souls. Robin was dead. Starfire lifted her head to see Slade draw circles with his hands, murmuring a spell in a language she could not have placed. A deadly look descended upon her features, glowing green and unusually hot to the touch then turning to stare at Tim. Cyborg stepped back in a haze of sadness. Beastboy slumped off to the side in grief and felt Raven's cold hand hold his shoulder.

Tim had regained his strength, faced Slade, and took the package he was holding from him, covered in a godlike glow.

Tim had gone through a series of stages where he felt nothing, and numb and plastic. After his brother died he stopped knowing certain things the way he used to and images blurred, reality spiraled out of control and when he regained charge of his life there was a small moment of realization that he was only living for the benefit of others. Every day was just another step closer to death and he was okay with that, but now as he held the weight of the world in his hands, he felt real and necessary. This has become his purpose and as he starred into the broken eyes of his alien friend he whispered, _"Castles built of iron and steel, cannot undo what has been done, but the goddess can and what life was, life will be again,"_

Raven felt a fierce stirring in the air and she started to cough terribly loud and the Titans turned to witness her eyes clenching as black tears peppered her face like cobalt drops of ash. "What is this?" She said in a heavy breathless tone and the remaining members on her team rushed to hold her as she fell.

"It's the will of Pandora." Slade explained, too happy to be real. "You see, dear Titans, Pandora wants out! She's getting restless in this pretty little box, and she knows that Timothy is here to help her release, escape out into this world." He pushed a button somewhere in a hidden compartment of his suit and from the ground rose a table holding a rather large object, covered by a thick piece of purple fabric.

Cyborg gave Raven a strange look, as if not comprehending Slade's babble. Raven, uncomfortable with the notion of having to explain something to Cyborg, of all people, she flustered at finding the words appropriate. Was it science? Was it magic?

"The box's magic is more powerful than mine. It's of another level of sorcery, that I..." She faltered, suddenly feeling faint. She held her head, closing her eyes. "She doesn't like that I'm here."

"Are you the only one that can stop her?" Beastboy looked at her, hopeful and adorable as ever.

Slade's laughter cut through the space like a dagger striking a defenseless lamb and reality sunk in once again. Now would've been when Robin rose to strike, leading his team mates into a victorious win over evil. But his voice was absent and the rest of them simply waited; unsure of their next move. Without Raven to guide them through the confusion that was 'magic' and Starfire standing in front of Timothy, still shell shocked, Beastboy and Cyborg remained in battle stance, prepared for attack.

Beastboy moved closer to his half-robot friend and made a strange growling sound deep in his chest, "Any ideas?"

Cyborg felt a shake begin at the base of his neck but he stilled, unwilling to bring his friend into the uncertainty that he was placed in. "We take him down, like always. It's easy, B."

That was all the reassurance the green shape shifter needed and he rushed into Slade with all the force of Tyranasarous Rex. The enormous shape of the long-extinct dinosaur crushed the nearby pipes and a warm hazy smoke filled the air. His roar vibrated the walls and there was a momentary pause for admiration, as his teammates witnessed Beastboy motor his gigantic jaws down on the silver plated man, ready to swallow him, chew him into bits, if he had to. And then Slade's cavern trembled with unmistakable power. Starfire had never felt so ultimately pathetic and useless, tearfully trying to piece together what had just happened in the span of a few minutes. She had Slade's life in her hands and then he had Robin's.

Timothy felt the words clog in his throat and he struggled to convey what he wished were absolutely true.

"No regrets," Was all they could hear Tim murmur as he held out the blanket covered object. It lifted into the air, glittering as it went and the room fell silent as the sound of magic began to whirl like objects of jingles and whistles in their ears. Starfire was reminded of the stars that shone brightly and burned close by the thin atmosphere of her planet, while Cyborg ran mental cyber tests of the materials and the molecules in the air and Beastboy tripped as an a giant boulder sprouted from the ground and the world around them shook and froze in the few seconds that held them. Then in a rapid flash of lightning the fabric fell away from the floating organism and a single strong lengthy limb lifted as it appeared first before the rest of the body of a man and Starfire refused to allow her eyes betray her vision. This wasn't happening. This wasn't real.

Robin's dead body lay cold and heartless on the ground in front of her while the body of Nicholas illuminated the room in a wonderfully eerie purple like glow.

* * *

**A/N: There's a reason the Titans split up, don't worry. I didn't just plop an empty scene for no reason. Or did I?**

**No. No, I didn't.  
**


End file.
